Nessus Report

Report generated by Tenable Nessus™

Diego - Windows 11 Enterprise

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:51:23 E. South America Standard Time

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Compliance 'FAILED'
1.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Enforce password history' is set to '24 or more password(s)'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the number of renewed, unique passwords that have to be associated with a user account before you can reuse an old password. The value for this policy setting must be between 0 and 24 passwords. The default value for stand-alone systems is 0 passwords, but the default setting when joined to a domain is 24 passwords. To maintain the effectiveness of this policy setting, use the Minimum password age setting to prevent users from repeatedly changing their password.

The recommended state for this setting is: 24 or more password(s)

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

Note #2: As of the publication of this benchmark, Microsoft currently has a maximum limit of 24 saved passwords. For more information, please visit

Enforce password history (Windows 10) - Windows security | Microsoft Docs

.

The longer a user uses the same password, the greater the chance that an attacker can determine the password through brute force attacks. Also, any accounts that may have been compromised will remain exploitable for as long as the password is left unchanged. If password changes are required but password reuse is not prevented, or if users continually reuse a small number of passwords, the effectiveness of a good password policy is greatly reduced.

If you specify a low number for this policy setting, users will be able to use the same small number of passwords repeatedly. If you do not also configure the Minimum password age setting, users might repeatedly change their passwords until they can reuse their original password.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 24 or more password(s) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Password Policy\Enforce password history

Impact:

The major impact of this configuration is that users must create a new password every time they are required to change their old one. If users are required to change their passwords to new unique values, there is an increased risk of users who write their passwords somewhere so that they do not forget them. Another risk is that users may create passwords that change incrementally (for example, password01, password02, and so on) to facilitate memorization but make them easier to guess. Also, an excessively low value for the Minimum password age setting will likely increase administrative overhead, because users who forget their passwords might ask the help desk to reset them frequently.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 16.2
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[24..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
1.1.3 (L1) Ensure 'Minimum password age' is set to '1 or more day(s)'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the number of days that you must use a password before you can change it. The range of values for this policy setting is between 1 and 999 days. (You may also set the value to 0 to allow immediate password changes.) The default value for this setting is 0 days.

The recommended state for this setting is: 1 or more day(s))

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

Users may have favorite passwords that they like to use because they are easy to remember and they believe that their password choice is secure from compromise. Unfortunately, passwords are compromised and if an attacker is targeting a specific individual's user account, with foreknowledge of data about that user, reuse of old passwords can cause a security breach. To address password reuse a combination of security settings is required. Using this policy setting with the Enforce password history setting prevents the easy reuse of old passwords. For example, if you configure the Enforce password history setting to ensure that users cannot reuse any of their last 12 passwords, they could change their password 13 times in a few minutes and reuse the password they started with, unless you also configure the Minimum password age setting to a number that is greater than 0. You must configure this policy setting to a number that is greater than 0 for the Enforce password history setting to be effective.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 1 or more day(s) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Password Policy\Minimum password age

Impact:

If an administrator sets a password for a user but wants that user to change the password when the user first logs on, the administrator must select the User must change password at next logon check box, or the user will not be able to change the password until the next day.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 16.10
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
1.1.4 (L1) Ensure 'Minimum password length' is set to '14 or more character(s)'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the least number of characters that make up a password for a user account. There are many different theories about how to determine the best password length for an organization, but perhaps 'passphrase' is a better term than 'password.' In Microsoft Windows 2000 or newer, passphrases can be quite long and can include spaces. Therefore, a phrase such as 'I want to drink a $5 milkshake' is a valid passphrase; it is a considerably stronger password than an 8 or 10 character string of random numbers and letters, and yet is easier to remember. Users must be educated about the proper selection and maintenance of passwords, especially around password length. In enterprise environments, the ideal value for the Minimum password length setting is 14 characters, however you should adjust this value to meet your organization's business requirements.

The recommended state for this setting is: 14 or more character(s)

Note: In Windows Server 2016 and older versions of Windows Server, the GUI of the Local Security Policy (LSP), Local Group Policy Editor (LGPE) and Group Policy Management Editor (GPME) would not let you set this value higher than 14 characters. However, starting with Windows Server 2019, Microsoft changed the GUI to allow up to a 20 character minimum password length.

Note #2: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

Types of password attacks include dictionary attacks (which attempt to use common words and phrases) and brute force attacks (which try every possible combination of characters). Also, attackers sometimes try to obtain the account database so they can use tools to discover the accounts and passwords.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 14 or more character(s) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Password Policy\Minimum password length

Impact:

Requirements for extremely long passwords can actually decrease the security of an organization, because users might leave the information in an insecure location or lose it. If very long passwords are required, mistyped passwords could cause account lockouts and increase the volume of help desk calls. If your organization has issues with forgotten passwords due to password length requirements, consider teaching your users about passphrases, which are often easier to remember and, due to the larger number of character combinations, much harder to discover.

Note: Older versions of Windows such as Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 do not support passwords that are longer than 14 characters. Computers that run these older operating systems are unable to authenticate with computers or domains that use accounts that require long passwords.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 4.4
CSCV7 16.2
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[14..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
1.1.5 (L1) Ensure 'Password must meet complexity requirements' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting checks all new passwords to ensure that they meet basic requirements for strong passwords.

When this policy is enabled, passwords must meet the following minimum requirements:

- Not contain the user's account name or parts of the user's full name that exceed two consecutive characters
- Be at least six characters in length
- Contain characters from three of the following categories:
- English uppercase characters (A through Z)
- English lowercase characters (a through z)
- Base 10 digits (0 through 9)
- Non-alphabetic characters (for example, !, $, #, %)
- A catch-all category of any Unicode character that does not fall under the previous four categories. This fifth category can be regionally specific.

Each additional character in a password increases its complexity exponentially. For instance, a seven-character, all lower-case alphabetic password would have 26 to the power of 7 (approximately 8 x 10 to the power of 9 or 8 billion) possible combinations. At 1,000,000 attempts per second (a capability of many password-cracking utilities), it would only take 133 minutes to crack. A seven-character alphabetic password with case sensitivity has 52 to the power of 7 combinations. A seven-character case-sensitive alphanumeric password without punctuation has 627 combinations. An eight-character password has 26 to the power of 8 (or 2 x 10 to the power of 11) possible combinations. Although this might seem to be a large number, at 1,000,000 attempts per second it would take only 59 hours to try all possible passwords. Remember, these times will significantly increase for passwords that use ALT characters and other special keyboard characters such as '!' or '@'. Proper use of the password settings can help make it difficult to mount a brute force attack.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

Passwords that contain only alphanumeric characters are extremely easy to discover with several publicly available tools.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Password Policy\Password must meet complexity requirements

Impact:

If the default password complexity configuration is retained, additional help desk calls for locked-out accounts could occur because users might not be accustomed to passwords that contain non-alphabetic characters. However, all users should be able to comply with the complexity requirement with minimal difficulty.

If your organization has more stringent security requirements, you can create a custom version of the Passfilt.dll file that allows the use of arbitrarily complex password strength rules. For example, a custom password filter might require the use of non-upper row characters. (Upper row characters are those that require you to hold down the SHIFT key and press any of the digits between 1 and 0.) A custom password filter might also perform a dictionary check to verify that the proposed password does not contain common dictionary words or fragments.

Also, the use of ALT key character combinations can greatly enhance the complexity of a password. However, such stringent password requirements can result in unhappy users and an extremely busy help desk. Alternatively, your organization could consider a requirement for all administrator passwords to use ALT characters in the 0128 - 0159 range. (ALT characters outside of this range can represent standard alphanumeric characters that would not add additional complexity to the password.)
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 4.4
CSCV7 16.2
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'enabled'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'disabled'
1.1.6 (L1) Ensure 'Relax minimum password length limits' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the minimum password length setting can be increased beyond the legacy limit of 14 characters. For more information, please see the following

Microsoft Security Blog

.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This setting only affects

local

accounts on the computer. Domain accounts are only affected by settings on the Domain Controllers, because that is where domain accounts are stored.

This setting will enable the enforcement of longer and generally stronger passwords or passphrases where MFA is not in use.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Password Policy\Relax minimum password length limits

Note: This setting is only available within the built-in OS security template of Windows 10 Release 2004 and Server 2022 (or newer), and is not available via older versions of the OS, or via downloadable Administrative Templates (ADMX/ADML). Therefore, you

must

use a Windows 10 Release 2004 or Server 2022 system (or newer) to view or edit this setting with the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) or Group Policy Management Editor (GPME).

Impact:

The

Minimum password length

setting may be configured higher than 14 characters.

If very long passwords are required, mistyped passwords could cause account lockouts and increase the volume of help desk calls. If your organization has issues with forgotten passwords due to password length requirements, consider teaching your users about passphrases, which are often easier to remember and, due to the larger number of character combinations, much harder to discover.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
1.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Account lockout duration' is set to '15 or more minute(s)'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the length of time that must pass before a locked account is unlocked and a user can try to log on again. The setting does this by specifying the number of minutes a locked out account will remain unavailable. If the value for this policy setting is configured to 0, locked out accounts will remain locked out until an administrator manually unlocks them.

Although it might seem like a good idea to configure the value for this policy setting to a high value, such a configuration will likely increase the number of calls that the help desk receives to unlock accounts locked by mistake. Users should be aware of the length of time a lock remains in place, so that they realize they only need to call the help desk if they have an extremely urgent need to regain access to their computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: 15 or more minute(s)

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

A denial of service (DoS) condition can be created if an attacker abuses the Account lockout threshold and repeatedly attempts to log on with a specific account. Once you configure the Account lockout threshold setting, the account will be locked out after the specified number of failed attempts. If you configure the Account lockout duration setting to 0, then the account will remain locked out until an administrator unlocks it manually.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 15 or more minute(s) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Account Lockout Policy\Account lockout duration

Impact:

Although it may seem like a good idea to configure this policy setting to never automatically unlock an account, such a configuration can increase the number of requests that your organization's help desk receives to unlock accounts that were locked by mistake.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.8
800-171 3.1.18
800-171R3 03.01.08
800-171R3 03.01.18
800-53 AC-7
800-53 AC-19
800-53R5 AC-7
800-53R5 AC-19
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.2
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.10
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-7
ITSG-33 AC-19
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM24
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 36.2.4
TBA-FIISB 45.1.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[15..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

10
1.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Account lockout threshold' is set to '5 or fewer invalid logon attempt(s), but not 0'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the number of failed logon attempts before the account is locked. Setting this policy to 0 does not conform to the benchmark as doing so disables the account lockout threshold.

The recommended state for this setting is: 5 or fewer invalid logon attempt(s), but not 0

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

Setting an account lockout threshold reduces the likelihood that an online password brute force attack will be successful. Setting the account lockout threshold too low introduces risk of increased accidental lockouts and/or a malicious actor intentionally locking out accounts.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 5 or fewer invalid login attempt(s), but not 0 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Account Lockout Policy\Account lockout threshold

Impact:

If this policy setting is enabled, a locked-out account will not be usable until it is reset by an administrator or until the account lockout duration expires. This setting may generate additional help desk calls.

If you enforce this setting an attacker could cause a denial of service condition by deliberately generating failed logons for multiple user, therefore you should also configure the Account Lockout Duration to a relatively low value.

If you configure the Account Lockout Threshold to 0, there is a possibility that an attacker's attempt to discover passwords with a brute force password attack might go undetected if a robust audit mechanism is not in place.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.8
800-171 3.1.18
800-171R3 03.01.08
800-171R3 03.01.18
800-53 AC-7
800-53 AC-19
800-53R5 AC-7
800-53R5 AC-19
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.2
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.10
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-7
ITSG-33 AC-19
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM24
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 36.2.4
TBA-FIISB 45.1.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..5]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

10
1.2.4 (L1) Ensure 'Reset account lockout counter after' is set to '15 or more minute(s)'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the length of time before the Account lockout threshold resets to zero. The default value for this policy setting is Not Defined. If the Account lockout threshold is defined, this reset time must be less than or equal to the value for the Account lockout duration setting.

If you leave this policy setting at its default value or configure the value to an interval that is too long, your environment could be vulnerable to a DoS attack. An attacker could maliciously perform a number of failed logon attempts on all users in the organization, which will lock out their accounts. If no policy were determined to reset the account lockout, it would be a manual task for administrators. Conversely, if a reasonable time value is configured for this policy setting, users would be locked out for a set period until all of the accounts are unlocked automatically.

The recommended state for this setting is: 15 or more minute(s)

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

Users can accidentally lock themselves out of their accounts if they mistype their password multiple times. To reduce the chance of such accidental lockouts, the Reset account lockout counter after setting determines the number of minutes that must elapse before the counter that tracks failed logon attempts and triggers lockouts is reset to 0.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 15 or more minute(s) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Account Lockout Policy\Reset account lockout counter after

Impact:

If you do not configure this policy setting or if the value is configured to an interval that is too long, a DoS attack could occur. An attacker could maliciously attempt to log on to each user's account numerous times and lock out their accounts as described in the preceding paragraphs. If you do not configure the Reset account lockout counter after setting, administrators would have to manually unlock all accounts. If you configure this policy setting to a reasonable value the users would be locked out for some period, after which their accounts would unlock automatically. Be sure that you notify users of the values used for this policy setting so that they will wait for the lockout timer to expire before they call the help desk about their inability to log on.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.8
800-171 3.1.18
800-171R3 03.01.08
800-171R3 03.01.18
800-53 AC-7
800-53 AC-19
800-53R5 AC-7
800-53R5 AC-19
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.2
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.10
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-7
ITSG-33 AC-19
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM24
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 36.2.4
TBA-FIISB 45.1.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[15..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

10
2.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Access this computer from the network' is set to 'Administrators, Remote Desktop Users'
-
Info
This policy setting allows other users on the network to connect to the computer and is required by various network protocols that include Server Message Block (SMB)-based protocols, NetBIOS, Common Internet File System (CIFS), and Component Object Model Plus (COM+).

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, Remote Desktop Users

Note: If your organization is using Microsoft Defender for Identity (formerly Azure Advanced Threat Protection (Azure ATP)), the (organization-named) Defender for Identity Directory Service Account (DSA), will also need to be granted the same Access this computer from the network User Right Assignment. For more information on adding the service account please see

Make sure the DSA is allowed to access computers from the network in Microsoft Defender for Identity | Microsoft Docs

.

Users who can connect from their computer to the network can access resources on target computers for which they have permission. For example, the Access this computer from the network user right is required for users to connect to shared printers and folders. If this user right is assigned to the Everyone group, then anyone will be able to read the files in those shared folders. However, this situation is unlikely for new installations of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), because the default share and NTFS permissions in Windows Server 2003 do not include the Everyone group. This vulnerability may have a higher level of risk for computers that you upgrade from Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, because the default permissions for these operating systems are not as restrictive as the default permissions in Windows Server 2003.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, Remote Desktop Users :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Access this computer from the network

Impact:

If you remove the Access this computer from the network user right on Domain Controllers for all users, no one will be able to log on to the domain or use network resources. If you remove this user right on Member Servers, users will not be able to connect to those servers through the network. Successful negotiation of IPsec connections requires that the initiating machine has this right, therefore if using IPsec, it is recommended that it be assigned to the Authenticated Users group. If you have installed optional components such as ASP.NET or Internet Information Services (IIS), you may need to assign this user right to additional accounts that are required by those components. It is important to verify that authorized users are assigned this user right for the computers they need to access the network.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'Remote Desktop Users'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'backup operators' && 'users' && 'administrators' && 'everyone'
2.2.5 (L1) Ensure 'Allow log on locally' is set to 'Administrators, Users'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users can interactively log on to computers in your environment. Logons that are initiated by pressing the CTRL+ALT+DEL key sequence on the client computer keyboard require this user right. Users who attempt to log on through Terminal Services / Remote Desktop Services or IIS also require this user right.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, Users

Note: The Guest account is also assigned this user right by default. Although this account is disabled by default, it's recommended that you configure this setting through Group Policy. However, this user right should generally be restricted to the Administrators and Users groups. Assign this user right to the Backup Operators group if your organization requires that they have this capability.

Any account with the Allow log on locally user right can log on at the console of the computer. If you do not restrict this user right to legitimate users who need to be able to log on to the console of the computer, unauthorized users could download and run malicious software to elevate their privileges.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, Users :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Allow log on locally

Impact:

If you remove these default groups, you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. You should confirm that delegated activities will not be adversely affected by any changes that you make to the Allow log on locally user right.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'Users'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'backup operators' && 'users' && 'administrators' && 'guest'
2.2.7 (L1) Ensure 'Back up files and directories' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to circumvent file and directory permissions to back up the system. This user right is enabled only when an application (such as NTBACKUP ) attempts to access a file or directory through the NTFS file system backup application programming interface (API). Otherwise, the assigned file and directory permissions apply.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

Users who are able to back up data from a computer could take the backup media to a non-domain computer on which they have administrative privileges and restore the data. They could take ownership of the files and view any unencrypted data that is contained within the backup set.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Back up files and directories

Impact:

Changes in the membership of the groups that have the Back up files and directories user right could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. You should confirm that authorized backup administrators are still able to perform backup operations.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'backup operators' && 'administrators'
2.2.16 (L1) Ensure 'Deny access to this computer from the network' to include 'Guests, Local account'
-
Info
This policy setting prohibits users from connecting to a computer from across the network, which would allow users to access and potentially modify data remotely. In high security environments, there should be no need for remote users to access data on a computer. Instead, file sharing should be accomplished through the use of network servers. This user right supersedes the Access this computer from the network user right if an account is subject to both policies.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Guests, Local account

Caution: Configuring a standalone (non-domain-joined) workstation as described above may result in an inability to remotely administer the workstation.

Note: The security identifier Local account is not available in Windows 7 and Windows 8.0 unless

MSKB 2871997

has been installed.

Users who can log on to the computer over the network can enumerate lists of account names, group names, and shared resources. Users with permission to access shared folders and files can connect over the network and possibly view or modify data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Guests, Local account :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Deny access to this computer from the network

Impact:

If you configure the Deny access to this computer from the network user right for other groups, you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. You should verify that delegated tasks will not be negatively affected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Guests' && 'Local account'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'guest'
2.2.17 (L1) Ensure 'Deny log on as a batch job' to include 'Guests'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which accounts will not be able to log on to the computer as a batch job. A batch job is not a batch (.bat) file, but rather a batch-queue facility. Accounts that use the Task Scheduler to schedule jobs need this user right.

This user right supersedes the Log on as a batch job user right, which could be used to allow accounts to schedule jobs that consume excessive system resources. Such an occurrence could cause a DoS condition. Failure to assign this user right to the recommended accounts can be a security risk.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Guests

Accounts that have the Log on as a batch job user right could be used to schedule jobs that could consume excessive computer resources and cause a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Guests :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Deny log on as a batch job

Impact:

If you assign the Deny log on as a batch job user right to other accounts, you could deny users who are assigned to specific administrative roles the ability to perform their required job activities. You should confirm that delegated tasks will not be affected adversely.

For example, if you assign this user right to the IWAM_

(ComputerName)

account, the MSM Management Point will fail. On a newly installed computer that runs Windows Server 2003 this account does not belong to the Guests group, but on a computer that was upgraded from Windows 2000 this account is a member of the Guests group. Therefore, it is important that you understand which accounts belong to any groups that you assign the Deny log on as a batch job user right.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Guests'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.18 (L1) Ensure 'Deny log on as a service' to include 'Guests'
-
Info
This security setting determines which service accounts are prevented from registering a process as a service. This user right supersedes the Log on as a service user right if an account is subject to both policies.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Guests

Note: This security setting does not apply to the System Local Service or Network Service accounts.

Accounts that can log on as a service could be used to configure and start new unauthorized services, such as a keylogger or other malicious software. The benefit of the specified countermeasure is somewhat reduced by the fact that only users with administrative privileges can install and configure services, and an attacker who has already attained that level of access could configure the service to run with the System account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Guests :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Deny log on as a service

Impact:

If you assign the Deny log on as a service user right to specific accounts, services may not be able to start and a DoS condition could result.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Guests'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.19 (L1) Ensure 'Deny log on locally' to include 'Guests'
-
Info
This security setting determines which users are prevented from logging on at the computer. This policy setting supersedes the Allow log on locally policy setting if an account is subject to both policies.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Guests

Important: If you apply this security policy to the Everyone group, no one will be able to log on locally.

Any account with the ability to log on locally could be used to log on at the console of the computer. If this user right is not restricted to legitimate users who need to log on to the console of the computer, unauthorized users might download and run malicious software that elevates their privileges.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Guests :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Deny log on locally

Impact:

If you assign the Deny log on locally user right to additional accounts, you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific roles in your environment. However, this user right should explicitly be assigned to the ASPNET account on computers that run IIS 6.0. You should confirm that delegated activities will not be adversely affected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Guests'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'guest'
2.2.20 (L1) Ensure 'Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services' to include 'Guests, Local account'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether users can log on as Remote Desktop clients. After the baseline workstation is joined to a domain environment, there is no need to use local accounts to access the workstation from the network. Domain accounts can access the workstation for administration and end-user processing. This user right supersedes the Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services user right if an account is subject to both policies.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Guests, Local account

Caution: Configuring a standalone (non-domain-joined) workstation as described above may result in an inability to remotely administer the workstation.

Note: The security identifier Local account is not available in Windows 7 and Windows 8.0 unless

MSKB 2871997

has been installed.

Note #2: In all versions of Windows prior to Windows 7, Remote Desktop Services was known as Terminal Services so you should substitute the older term if comparing against an older OS.

Any account with the right to log on through Remote Desktop Services could be used to log on to the remote console of the computer. If this user right is not restricted to legitimate users who need to log on to the console of the computer, unauthorized users might download and run malicious software that elevates their privileges.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Guests, Local account :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services

Impact:

If you assign the Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services user right to other groups, you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. Accounts that have this user right will be unable to connect to the computer through either Remote Desktop Services or Remote Assistance. You should confirm that delegated tasks will not be negatively impacted.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Guests' && 'Local account'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.23 (L1) Ensure 'Generate security audits' is set to 'LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users or processes can generate audit records in the Security log.

The recommended state for this setting is: LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

An attacker could use this capability to create a large number of audited events, which would make it more difficult for a system administrator to locate any illicit activity. Also, if the event log is configured to overwrite events as needed, any evidence of unauthorized activities could be overwritten by a large number of unrelated events.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Generate security audits

Impact:

On most computers, this is the default configuration and there will be no negative impact. However, if you have installed

Web Server (IIS)

, you will need to allow the IIS application pool(s) to be granted this user right.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 6.2
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'LOCAL SERVICE' && 'NETWORK SERVICE'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'printspoolerservice' && 'network service' && 'local service'
2.2.24 (L1) Ensure 'Impersonate a client after authentication' is set to 'Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE, SERVICE'
-
Info
The policy setting allows programs that run on behalf of a user to impersonate that user (or another specified account) so that they can act on behalf of the user. If this user right is required for this kind of impersonation, an unauthorized user will not be able to convince a client to connect-for example, by remote procedure call (RPC) or named pipes-to a service that they have created to impersonate that client, which could elevate the unauthorized user's permissions to administrative or system levels.

Services that are started by the Service Control Manager have the built-in Service group added by default to their access tokens. COM servers that are started by the COM infrastructure and configured to run under a specific account also have the Service group added to their access tokens. As a result, these processes are assigned this user right when they are started.

Also, a user can impersonate an access token if any of the following conditions exist:

- The access token that is being impersonated is for this user.
- The user, in this logon session, logged on to the network with explicit credentials to create the access token.
- The requested level is less than Impersonate, such as Anonymous or Identify.

An attacker with the Impersonate a client after authentication user right could create a service, trick a client to make them connect to the service, and then impersonate that client to elevate the attacker's level of access to that of the client.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE, SERVICE

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

An attacker with the Impersonate a client after authentication user right could create a service, trick a client to make them connect to the service, and then impersonate that client to elevate the attacker's level of access to that of the client.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE, SERVICE :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Impersonate a client after authentication

Impact:

In most cases this configuration will have no impact. If you have installed

Web Server (IIS)

, you will need to also assign the user right to IIS_IUSRS
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'LOCAL SERVICE' && 'NETWORK SERVICE' && 'SERVICE'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'printspoolerservice' && 'service' && 'administrators' && 'network service' && 'local service'
2.2.28 (L2) Ensure 'Log on as a batch job' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows accounts to log on using the task scheduler service. Because the task scheduler is often used for administrative purposes, it may be needed in enterprise environments. However, its use should be restricted in high security environments to prevent misuse of system resources or to prevent attackers from using the right to launch malicious code after gaining user level access to a computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

The Log on as a batch job user right presents a low-risk vulnerability. For most organizations, the default settings are sufficient.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Log on as a batch job

Impact:

If you configure the Log on as a batch job setting through domain-based Group Policies, the computer will not be able to assign the user right to accounts that are used for scheduled jobs in the Task Scheduler. If you install optional components such as ASP.NET or IIS, you might need to assign this user right to additional accounts that are required by those components. For example, IIS requires assignment of this user right to the IIS_WPG group and the IUSR_

(ComputerName)

, ASPNET and IWAM_

(ComputerName)

accounts. If this user right is not assigned to this group and these accounts, IIS will be unable to run some COM objects that are necessary for proper functionality.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 2A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'performance log users' && 'backup operators' && 'administrators'
2.2.29 (L2) Ensure 'Log on as a service' is configured
-
Info
This policy setting allows accounts to launch network services or to register a process as a service running on the system. This user right should be restricted on any computer in a high security environment, but because many applications may require this privilege, it should be carefully evaluated and tested before configuring it in an enterprise environment. On Windows Vista-based (or newer) computers, no users or groups have this privilege by default.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One or (when the

Hyper-V

feature is installed) NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines or (when using

Windows Defender Application Guard

, such as in the Next Generation Windows Security profile) WDAGUtilityAccount

Note: The

Hyper-V

feature was first introduced on Windows workstations with the 64-bit version of Windows 8.0, so the NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines option does not apply to Windows 7 (or older) versions of Windows. Older OSes should only be configured for No One

Note #2: The

Windows Defender Application Guard

feature was first introduced on Windows workstations with the 64-bit version of Windows 10, so the WDAGUtilityAccount option does not apply to 32-bit versions of Windows.

Log on as a service is a powerful user right because it allows accounts to launch network services or services that run continuously on a computer, even when no one is logged on to the console. The risk is reduced by the fact that only users with administrative privileges can install and configure services. An attacker who has already attained that level of access could configure the service to run with the Local System account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One or (when the

Hyper-V

feature is installed) NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines or (when using

Windows Defender Application Guard

, such as in the Next Generation Windows Security profile) WDAGUtilityAccount :

Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Log on as a service

Impact:

If you have installed optional components such as ASP.NET or IIS, you may need to assign the Log on as a service user right to additional accounts that are required by those components. IIS requires that this user right be explicitly granted to the ASPNET user account. On Windows Workstations with the Hyper-V feature installed, this user right should also be granted to the special group NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 2A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
'' || (('NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines' || 'Virtual Machines') && 'WDAGUtilityAccount') || ('NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines' || 'Virtual Machines') || 'WDAGUtilityAccount'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'all restricted services' && 'all services'
2.2.37 (L1) Ensure 'Restore files and directories' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users can bypass file, directory, registry, and other persistent object permissions when restoring backed up files and directories on computers that run Windows Vista (or newer) in your environment. This user right also determines which users can set valid security principals as object owners; it is similar to the Back up files and directories user right.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

An attacker with the Restore files and directories user right could restore sensitive data to a computer and overwrite data that is more recent, which could lead to loss of important data, data corruption, or a denial of service. Attackers could overwrite executable files that are used by legitimate administrators or system services with versions that include malicious software to grant themselves elevated privileges, compromise data, or install backdoors for continued access to the computer.

Note: Even if the following countermeasure is configured, an attacker could still restore data to a computer in a domain that is controlled by the attacker. Therefore, it is critical that organizations carefully protect the media that is used to back up data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Restore files and directories

Impact:

If you remove the Restore files and directories user right from the Backup Operators group and other accounts you could make it impossible for users who have been delegated specific tasks to perform those tasks. You should verify that this change won't negatively affect the ability of your organization's personnel to do their jobs.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'backup operators' && 'administrators'
2.2.38 (L1) Ensure 'Shut down the system' is set to 'Administrators, Users'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users who are logged on locally to the computers in your environment can shut down the operating system with the Shut Down command. Misuse of this user right can result in a denial of service condition.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, Users

The ability to shut down a workstation should be available generally to Administrators and authorized users of that workstation, but not permitted for guests or unauthorized users - in order to prevent a Denial of Service attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, Users :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Shut down the system

Impact:

The impact of removing these default groups from the Shut down the system user right could limit the delegated abilities of assigned roles in your environment. You should confirm that delegated activities will not be adversely affected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Users' && 'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'backup operators' && 'users' && 'administrators'
2.3.1.3 (L1) Configure 'Accounts: Rename administrator account'
-
Info
The built-in local administrator account is a well-known account name that attackers will target. It is recommended to choose another name for this account, and to avoid names that denote administrative or elevated access accounts. Be sure to also change the default description for the local administrator (through the Computer Management console).

The Administrator account exists on all computers that run the Windows 2000 or newer operating systems. If you rename this account, it is slightly more difficult for unauthorized persons to guess this privileged user name and password combination.

The built-in Administrator account cannot be locked out, regardless of how many times an attacker might use a bad password. This capability makes the Administrator account a popular target for brute force attacks that attempt to guess passwords. The value of this countermeasure is lessened because this account has a well-known SID, and there are third-party tools that allow authentication by using the SID rather than the account name. Therefore, even if you rename the Administrator account, an attacker could launch a brute force attack by using the SID to log on.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, configure the following UI path:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Rename administrator account

Impact:

You will have to inform users who are authorized to use this account of the new account name. (The guidance for this setting assumes that the Administrator account was not disabled, which was recommended earlier in this chapter.)
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-53 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5
CSCV8 4.7
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'\b[Aa]dmin(istrator)?'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'Administrator'
2.3.1.4 (L1) Configure 'Accounts: Rename guest account'
-
Info
The built-in local guest account is another well-known name to attackers. It is recommended to rename this account to something that does not indicate its purpose. Even if you disable this account, which is recommended, ensure that you rename it for added security.

The Guest account exists on all computers that run the Windows 2000 or newer operating systems. If you rename this account, it is slightly more difficult for unauthorized persons to guess this privileged user name and password combination.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, configure the following UI path:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Rename guest account

Impact:

There should be little impact, because the Guest account is disabled by default.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-53 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5
CSCV8 4.7
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Guest'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'Guest'
2.3.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings (Windows Vista or later) to override audit policy category settings' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows administrators to enable the more precise auditing capabilities present in Windows Vista.

The Audit Policy settings available in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory do not yet contain settings for managing the new auditing subcategories. To properly apply the auditing policies prescribed in this baseline, the Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings (Windows Vista or later) to override audit policy category settings setting needs to be configured to Enabled.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Important: Be very cautious about audit settings that can generate a large volume of traffic. For example, if you enable either success or failure auditing for all of the Privilege Use subcategories, the high volume of audit events generated can make it difficult to find other types of entries in the Security log. Such a configuration could also have a significant impact on system performance.

Prior to the introduction of auditing subcategories in Windows Vista, it was difficult to track events at a per-system or per-user level. The larger event categories created too many events and the key information that needed to be audited was difficult to find.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings (Windows Vista or later) to override audit policy category settings

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.2
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.4.1 (L2) Ensure 'Devices: Prevent users from installing printer drivers' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
For a computer to print to a shared printer, the driver for that shared printer must be installed on the local computer. This security setting determines who is allowed to install a printer driver as part of connecting to a shared printer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This setting does not affect the ability to add a local printer. This setting does not affect Administrators.

It may be appropriate in some organizations to allow users to install printer drivers on their own workstations. However, in a high security environment, you should allow only Administrators, not users, to do this, because printer driver installation may unintentionally cause the computer to become less stable. A malicious user could install inappropriate printer drivers in a deliberate attempt to damage the computer, or a user might accidentally install malicious software that masquerades as a printer driver. It is feasible for an attacker to disguise a Trojan horse program as a printer driver. The program may appear to users as if they must use it to print, but such a program could unleash malicious code on your computer network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Devices: Prevent users from installing printer drivers

Impact:

Only Administrators will be able to install a printer driver as part of connecting to a shared printer. The ability to add a local printer will not be affected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 2A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.7.1 (L1) Ensure 'Interactive logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether users must press CTRL+ALT+DEL before they log on.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Microsoft developed this feature to make it easier for users with certain types of physical impairments to log on to computers that run Windows. If users are not required to press CTRL+ALT+DEL, they are susceptible to attacks that attempt to intercept their passwords. If CTRL+ALT+DEL is required before logon, user passwords are communicated by means of a trusted path.

An attacker could install a Trojan horse program that looks like the standard Windows logon dialog box and capture the user's password. The attacker would then be able to log on to the compromised account with whatever level of privilege that user has.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL

Impact:

Users must press CTRL+ALT+DEL before they log on to Windows unless they use a smart card for Windows logon. A smart card is a tamper-proof device that stores security information.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.7.2 (L1) Ensure 'Interactive logon: Don't display last signed-in' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the account name of the last user to log on to the client computers in your organization will be displayed in each computer's respective Windows logon screen. Enable this policy setting to prevent intruders from collecting account names visually from the screens of desktop or laptop computers in your organization.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

An attacker with access to the console (for example, someone with physical access or someone who is able to connect to the server through Remote Desktop Services) could view the name of the last user who logged on to the server. The attacker could then try to guess the password, use a dictionary, or use a brute-force attack to try and log on.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Don't display last signed-in

Note: In older versions of Microsoft Windows, this setting was named

Interactive logon: Do not display last user name

, but it was renamed starting with Windows 10 Release 1703.

Impact:

The name of the last user to successfully log on will not be displayed in the Windows logon screen.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.7.4 (L1) Ensure 'Interactive logon: Machine inactivity limit' is set to '900 or fewer second(s), but not 0'
-
Info
Windows notices inactivity of a logon session, and if the amount of inactive time exceeds the inactivity limit, then the screen saver will run, locking the session.

The recommended state for this setting is: 900 or fewer second(s), but not 0

Note: A value of 0 does not conform to the benchmark as it disables the machine inactivity limit.

If a user forgets to lock their computer when they walk away it's possible that a passerby will hijack it.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 900 or fewer seconds, but not 0 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Machine inactivity limit

Impact:

The screen saver will automatically activate when the computer has been unattended for the amount of time specified. The impact should be minimal since the screen saver is enabled by default.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.10
800-171 3.1.11
800-171R3 03.01.01h.
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-171R3 03.01.11
800-53 AC-2(5)
800-53 AC-11
800-53 AC-11(1)
800-53 AC-12
800-53R5 AC-2(5)
800-53R5 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11(1)
800-53R5 AC-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-2(5)
ITSG-33 AC-11
ITSG-33 AC-11(1)
ITSG-33 AC-12
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 NS49
NIAV2 SS14e
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
TBA-FIISB 36.2.1
TBA-FIISB 37.1.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..900]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.7.5 (L1) Configure 'Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies a text message that displays to users when they log on. Set the following group policy to a value that is consistent with the security and operational requirements of your organization.

Displaying a warning message before logon may help prevent an attack by warning the attacker about the consequences of their misconduct before it happens. It may also help to reinforce corporate policy by notifying employees of the appropriate policy during the logon process. This text is often used for legal reasons-for example, to warn users about the ramifications of misusing company information or to warn them that their actions may be audited.

Note: Any warning that you display should first be approved by your organization's legal and human resources representatives.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, configure the following UI path to a value that is consistent with the security and operational requirements of your organization:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on

Impact:

Users will have to acknowledge a dialog box containing the configured text before they can log on to the computer.

Note: Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional support logon banners that can exceed 512 characters in length and that can also contain carriage-return line-feed sequences. However, Windows 2000-based clients cannot interpret and display these messages. You must use a Windows 2000-based computer to create a logon message policy that applies to Windows 2000-based computers.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.9
800-171R3 03.01.09
800-53 AC-8
800-53R5 AC-8
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.5
ITSG-33 AC-8
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.3.6
TBA-FIISB 45.2.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'All activities performed on this system will be monitored.'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'No content provided to compare with.'
2.3.7.6 (L1) Configure 'Interactive logon: Message title for users attempting to log on'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies the text displayed in the title bar of the window that users see when they log on to the system. Configure this setting in a manner that is consistent with the security and operational requirements of your organization.

Displaying a warning message before logon may help prevent an attack by warning the attacker about the consequences of their misconduct before it happens. It may also help to reinforce corporate policy by notifying employees of the appropriate policy during the logon process.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, configure the following UI path to a value that is consistent with the security and operational requirements of your organization:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Message title for users attempting to log on

Impact:

Users will have to acknowledge a dialog box with the configured title before they can log on to the computer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.9
800-171R3 03.01.09
800-53 AC-8
800-53R5 AC-8
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.5
ITSG-33 AC-8
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.3.6
TBA-FIISB 45.2.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Notice and Consent Banner'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'No content provided to compare with.'
2.3.7.7 (L2) Ensure 'Interactive logon: Number of previous logons to cache (in case domain controller is not available)' is set to '4 or fewer logon(s)'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether a user can log on to a Windows domain using cached account information. Logon information for domain accounts can be cached locally to allow users to log on even if a Domain Controller cannot be contacted. This policy setting determines the number of unique users for whom logon information is cached locally. If this value is set to 0, the logon cache feature is disabled. An attacker who is able to access the file system of the server could locate this cached information and use a brute force attack to determine user passwords.

The recommended state for this setting is: 4 or fewer logon(s)

The number that is assigned to this policy setting indicates the number of users whose logon information the computer will cache locally. If the number is set to 4, then the computer caches logon information for 4 users. When a 5th user logs on to the computer, the server overwrites the oldest cached logon session.

Users who access the computer console will have their logon credentials cached on that computer. An attacker who is able to access the file system of the computer could locate this cached information and use a brute force attack to attempt to determine user passwords. To mitigate this type of attack, Windows encrypts the information and obscures its physical location.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 4 or fewer logon(s) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Number of previous logons to cache (in case domain controller is not available)

Impact:

Users will be unable to log on to any computers if there is no Domain Controller available to authenticate them. Organizations may want to configure this value to 2 for end-user computers, especially for mobile users. A configuration value of 2 means that the user's logon information will still be in the cache, even if a member of the IT department has recently logged on to their computer to perform system maintenance. This method allows users to log on to their computers when they are not connected to the organization's network.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-53 IA-5(13)
800-53R5 IA-5(13)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5
LEVEL 2A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
'^[43210]$'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'10'
2.3.7.9 (L1) Ensure 'Interactive logon: Smart card removal behavior' is set to 'Lock Workstation' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting determines what happens when the smart card for a logged-on user is removed from the smart card reader.

The recommended state for this setting is: Lock Workstation Configuring this setting to Force Logoff or Disconnect if a Remote Desktop Services session also conforms to the benchmark.

Users sometimes forget to lock their workstations when they are away from them, allowing the possibility for malicious users to access their computers. If smart cards are used for authentication, the computer should automatically lock itself when the card is removed to ensure that only the user with the smart card is accessing resources using those credentials.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Lock Workstation (or, if applicable for your environment, Force Logoff or Disconnect if a Remote Desktop Services session ):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Smart card removal behavior

Impact:

If you select Lock Workstation the workstation is locked when the smart card is removed, allowing users to leave the area, take their smart card with them, and still maintain a protected session.

If you select Force Logoff users are automatically logged off when their smart card is removed.

If you select Disconnect if a Remote Desktop Services session removal of the smart card disconnects the session without logging the users off. This allows the user to insert the smart card and resume the session later, or at another smart card reader-equipped computer, without having to log on again. If the session is local, this policy will function identically to Lock Workstation

Enforcing this setting on computers used by people who must log onto multiple computers in order to perform their duties could be frustrating and lower productivity. For example, if network administrators are limited to a single account but need to log into several computers simultaneously in order to effectively manage the network enforcing this setting will limit them to logging onto one computer at a time. For these reasons it is recommended that this setting only be enforced on workstations used for purposes commonly associated with typical users such as document creation and email.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.10
800-171 3.1.11
800-171R3 03.01.01h.
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-171R3 03.01.11
800-53 AC-2(5)
800-53 AC-11
800-53 AC-11(1)
800-53 AC-12
800-53R5 AC-2(5)
800-53R5 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11(1)
800-53R5 AC-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-2(5)
ITSG-33 AC-11
ITSG-33 AC-11(1)
ITSG-33 AC-12
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 NS49
NIAV2 SS14e
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
TBA-FIISB 36.2.1
TBA-FIISB 37.1.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'^(1|2|3)$'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'0'
2.3.8.1 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network client: Digitally sign communications (always)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether packet signing is required by the SMB client component.

Note: When Windows Vista-based computers have this policy setting enabled and they connect to file or print shares on remote servers, it is important that the setting is synchronized with its companion setting, Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (always) on those servers. For more information about these settings, see the 'Microsoft network client and server: Digitally sign communications (four related settings)' section in Chapter 5 of the Threats and Countermeasures guide.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Session hijacking uses tools that allow attackers who have access to the same network as the client or server to interrupt, end, or steal a session in progress. Attackers can potentially intercept and modify unsigned SMB packets and then modify the traffic and forward it so that the server might perform undesirable actions. Alternatively, the attacker could pose as the server or client after legitimate authentication and gain unauthorized access to data.

SMB is the resource sharing protocol that is supported by many Windows operating systems. It is the basis of NetBIOS and many other protocols. SMB signatures authenticate both users and the servers that host the data. If either side fails the authentication process, data transmission will not take place.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network client: Digitally sign communications (always)

Impact:

The Microsoft network client will not communicate with a Microsoft network server unless that server agrees to perform SMB packet signing.

The Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista implementations of the SMB file and print sharing protocol support mutual authentication, which prevents session hijacking attacks and supports message authentication to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. SMB signing provides this authentication by placing a digital signature into each SMB, which is then verified by both the client and the server.

Implementation of SMB signing may negatively affect performance, because each packet needs to be signed and verified. If these settings are enabled on a server that is performing multiple roles, such as a small business server that is serving as a Domain Controller, file server, print server, and application server performance may be substantially slowed. Additionally, if you configure computers to ignore all unsigned SMB communications, older applications and operating systems will not be able to connect. However, if you completely disable all SMB signing, computers will be vulnerable to session hijacking attacks.

When SMB signing policies are enabled on Domain Controllers running Windows Server 2003 and member computers running Windows Vista SP1 or Windows Server 2008 group policy processing will fail. A hotfix is available from Microsoft that resolves this issue; see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 950876 for more details:

Group Policy settings are not applied on member computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista SP1 when certain SMB signing policies are enabled

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.9.2 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (always)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether packet signing is required by the SMB server component. Enable this policy setting in a mixed environment to prevent downstream clients from using the workstation as a network server.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Session hijacking uses tools that allow attackers who have access to the same network as the client or server to interrupt, end, or steal a session in progress. Attackers can potentially intercept and modify unsigned SMB packets and then modify the traffic and forward it so that the server might perform undesirable actions. Alternatively, the attacker could pose as the server or client after legitimate authentication and gain unauthorized access to data.

SMB is the resource sharing protocol that is supported by many Windows operating systems. It is the basis of NetBIOS and many other protocols. SMB signatures authenticate both users and the servers that host the data. If either side fails the authentication process, data transmission will not take place.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (always)

Impact:

The Microsoft network server will not communicate with a Microsoft network client unless that client agrees to perform SMB packet signing.

The Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista implementations of the SMB file and print sharing protocol support mutual authentication, which prevents session hijacking attacks and supports message authentication to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. SMB signing provides this authentication by placing a digital signature into each SMB, which is then verified by both the client and the server.

Implementation of SMB signing may negatively affect performance, because each packet needs to be signed and verified. If these settings are enabled on a server that is performing multiple roles, such as a small business server that is serving as a Domain Controller, file server, print server, and application server performance may be substantially slowed. Additionally, if you configure computers to ignore all unsigned SMB communications, older applications and operating systems will not be able to connect. However, if you completely disable all SMB signing, computers will be vulnerable to session hijacking attacks.

When SMB signing policies are enabled on Domain Controllers running Windows Server 2003 and member computers running Windows Vista SP1 or Windows Server 2008 group policy processing will fail. A hotfix is available from Microsoft that resolves this issue; see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 950876 for more details:

Group Policy settings are not applied on member computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista SP1 when certain SMB signing policies are enabled

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.9.3 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (if client agrees)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the SMB server will negotiate SMB packet signing with clients that request it. If no signing request comes from the client, a connection will be allowed without a signature if the Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (always) setting is not enabled.

Note: Enable this policy setting on SMB clients on your network to make them fully effective for packet signing with all clients and servers in your environment.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Session hijacking uses tools that allow attackers who have access to the same network as the client or server to interrupt, end, or steal a session in progress. Attackers can potentially intercept and modify unsigned SMB packets and then modify the traffic and forward it so that the server might perform undesirable actions. Alternatively, the attacker could pose as the server or client after legitimate authentication and gain unauthorized access to data.

SMB is the resource sharing protocol that is supported by many Windows operating systems. It is the basis of NetBIOS and many other protocols. SMB signatures authenticate both users and the servers that host the data. If either side fails the authentication process, data transmission will not take place.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (if client agrees)

Impact:

The Microsoft network server will negotiate SMB packet signing as requested by the client. That is, if packet signing has been enabled on the client, packet signing will be negotiated.

The Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista implementations of the SMB file and print sharing protocol support mutual authentication, which prevents session hijacking attacks and supports message authentication to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. SMB signing provides this authentication by placing a digital signature into each SMB, which is then verified by both the client and the server.

Implementation of SMB signing may negatively affect performance, because each packet needs to be signed and verified. If these settings are enabled on a server that is performing multiple roles, such as a small business server that is serving as a Domain Controller, file server, print server, and application server performance may be substantially slowed. Additionally, if you configure computers to ignore all unsigned SMB communications, older applications and operating systems will not be able to connect. However, if you completely disable all SMB signing, computers will be vulnerable to session hijacking attacks.

When SMB signing policies are enabled on Domain Controllers running Windows Server 2003 and member computers running Windows Vista SP1 or Windows Server 2008 group policy processing will fail. A hotfix is available from Microsoft that resolves this issue; see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 950876 for more details:

Group Policy settings are not applied on member computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista SP1 when certain SMB signing policies are enabled

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.9.5 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network server: Server SPN target name validation level' is set to 'Accept if provided by client' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting controls the level of validation a computer with shared folders or printers (the server) performs on the service principal name (SPN) that is provided by the client computer when it establishes a session using the server message block (SMB) protocol.

The server message block (SMB) protocol provides the basis for file and print sharing and other networking operations, such as remote Windows administration. The SMB protocol supports validating the SMB server service principal name (SPN) within the authentication blob provided by a SMB client to prevent a class of attacks against SMB servers referred to as SMB relay attacks. This setting will affect both SMB1 and SMB2.

The recommended state for this setting is: Accept if provided by client Configuring this setting to Required from client also conforms to the benchmark.

The identity of a computer can be spoofed to gain unauthorized access to network resources.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Accept if provided by client (configuring to Required from client also conforms to the benchmark):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network server: Server SPN target name validation level

Impact:

All Windows operating systems support both a client-side SMB component and a server-side SMB component. This setting affects the server SMB behavior, and its implementation should be carefully evaluated and tested to prevent disruptions to file and print serving capabilities.

If configured to Accept if provided by client the SMB server will accept and validate the SPN provided by the SMB client and allow a session to be established if it matches the SMB server's list of SPN's for itself. If the SPN does NOT match, the session request for that SMB client will be denied.

If configured to Required from client the SMB client MUST send a SPN name in session setup, and the SPN name provided MUST match the SMB server that is being requested to establish a connection. If no SPN is provided by client, or the SPN provided does not match, the session is denied.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.10.3 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and shares' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the ability of anonymous users to enumerate SAM accounts as well as shares. If you enable this policy setting, anonymous users will not be able to enumerate domain account user names and network share names on the systems in your environment.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This policy has no effect on Domain Controllers.

An unauthorized user could anonymously list account names and shared resources and use the information to attempt to guess passwords or perform social engineering attacks. (Social engineering attacks try to deceive users in some way to obtain passwords or some form of security information.)
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and shares

Impact:

It will be impossible to establish trusts with Windows NT 4.0-based domains. Also, client computers that run older versions of the Windows operating system such as Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95 will experience problems when they try to use resources on the server. Users who access file and print servers anonymously will be unable to list the shared network resources on those servers; the users will have to authenticate before they can view the lists of shared folders and printers. However, even with this policy setting enabled, anonymous users will have access to resources with permissions that explicitly include the built-in group, ANONYMOUS LOGON
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.10.4 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Do not allow storage of passwords and credentials for network authentication' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Credential Manager (formerly called Stored User Names and Passwords) saves passwords or credentials for later use when it gains domain authentication.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Changes to this setting will not take effect until Windows is restarted.

Passwords that are cached can be accessed by the user when logged on to the computer. Although this information may sound obvious, a problem can arise if the user unknowingly executes hostile code that reads the passwords and forwards them to another, unauthorized user.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Do not allow storage of passwords and credentials for network authentication

Impact:

Credential Manager will not store passwords and credentials on the computer. Users will be forced to enter passwords whenever they log on to their Passport account or other network resources that aren't accessible to their domain account. Testing has shown that clients running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 will be unable to connect to Distributed File System (DFS) shares in untrusted domains. Enabling this setting also makes it impossible to specify alternate credentials for scheduled tasks, this can cause a variety of problems. For example, some third-party backup products will no longer work. This policy setting should have no impact on users who access network resources that are configured to allow access with their Active Directory-based domain account.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.10
800-171R3 03.05.07c.
800-53 IA-5(1)(c)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)(c)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)(c)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
NIAV2 CY6
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 26.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.10.10 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Restrict clients allowed to make remote calls to SAM' is set to 'Administrators: Remote Access: Allow'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to restrict remote RPC connections to SAM.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators: Remote Access: Allow

Note: A Windows 10 R1607, Server 2016 or newer OS is required to access and set this value in Group Policy.

Note #2: This setting was originally only supported on Windows 10 R1607 or newer, then support for it was added to Windows 7 or newer via the March 2017 security patches.

Note #3: If your organization is using Microsoft Defender for Identity (formerly Azure Advanced Threat Protection (Azure ATP)), the (organization-named) Defender for Identity Directory Service Account (DSA), will also need to be granted the same Remote Access: Allow permission. For more information on adding the service account please see

Configure SAM-R to enable lateral movement path detection in Microsoft Defender for Identity | Microsoft Docs

.

To ensure that an unauthorized user cannot anonymously list local account names or groups and use the information to attempt to guess passwords or perform social engineering attacks. (Social engineering attacks try to deceive users in some way to obtain passwords or some form of security information.)
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators: Remote Access: Allow :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Restrict clients allowed to make remote calls to SAM

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-53 AC-6(3)
800-53R5 AC-6(3)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.1.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ITSG-33 AC-6(3)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.5.4
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'O:BAG:BAD:(A;;RC;;;BA)'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
2.3.11.1 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Allow Local System to use computer identity for NTLM' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Local System services that use Negotiate when reverting to NTLM authentication can use the computer identity. This policy is supported on at least Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When connecting to computers running versions of Windows earlier than Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 (non-R2), services running as Local System and using SPNEGO (Negotiate) that revert to NTLM use the computer identity. In Windows 7, if you are connecting to a computer running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista, then a system service uses either the computer identity or a NULL session. When connecting with a NULL session, a system-generated session key is created, which provides no protection but allows applications to sign and encrypt data without errors. When connecting with the computer identity, both signing and encryption is supported in order to provide data protection.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Allow Local System to use computer identity for NTLM

Impact:

Services running as Local System that use Negotiate when reverting to NTLM authentication will use the computer identity. This might cause some authentication requests between Windows operating systems to fail and log an error.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171R3 03.05.02
800-53 IA-3
800-53R5 IA-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ITSG-33 IA-3
ITSG-33 IA-3a.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.4.3
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 27.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.11.2 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Allow LocalSystem NULL session fallback' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether NTLM is allowed to fall back to a NULL session when used with LocalSystem.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

NULL sessions are less secure because by definition they are unauthenticated.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Allow LocalSystem NULL session fallback

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. Any applications that require NULL sessions for LocalSystem will not work as designed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.11.3 (L1) Ensure 'Network Security: Allow PKU2U authentication requests to this computer to use online identities' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting determines if online identities are able to authenticate to this computer.

The Public Key Cryptography Based User-to-User (PKU2U) protocol introduced in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is implemented as a security support provider (SSP). The SSP enables peer-to-peer authentication, particularly through the Windows 7 media and file sharing feature called HomeGroup, which permits sharing between computers that are not members of a domain.

With PKU2U, a new extension was introduced to the Negotiate authentication package, Spnego.dll In previous versions of Windows, Negotiate decided whether to use Kerberos or NTLM for authentication. The extension SSP for Negotiate, Negoexts.dll which is treated as an authentication protocol by Windows, supports Microsoft SSPs including PKU2U.

When computers are configured to accept authentication requests by using online IDs, Negoexts.dll calls the PKU2U SSP on the computer that is used to log on. The PKU2U SSP obtains a local certificate and exchanges the policy between the peer computers. When validated on the peer computer, the certificate within the metadata is sent to the logon peer for validation and associates the user's certificate to a security token and the logon process completes.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: If a hybrid environment is used, and PKU2U is Disabled Remote Desktop connections from a hybrid joined system to a hybrid joined system will fail.

The PKU2U protocol is a peer-to-peer authentication protocol - authentication should be managed centrally in most managed networks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network Security: Allow PKU2U authentication requests to this computer to use online identities

Impact:

None - this is the default configuration for domain-joined computers.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.11.4 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Configure encryption types allowed for Kerberos' is set to 'AES128_HMAC_SHA1, AES256_HMAC_SHA1, Future encryption types'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to set the encryption types that Kerberos is allowed to use.

The recommended state for this setting is: AES128_HMAC_SHA1, AES256_HMAC_SHA1, Future encryption types

Note: Some legacy applications and OSes may still require RC4_HMAC_MD5 - we recommend you test in your environment and verify whether you can safely remove it.

The strength of each encryption algorithm varies from one to the next, choosing stronger algorithms will reduce the risk of compromise however doing so may cause issues when the computer attempts to authenticate with systems that do not support them.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to AES128_HMAC_SHA1, AES256_HMAC_SHA1, Future encryption types :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Configure encryption types allowed for Kerberos

Impact:

If not selected, the encryption type will not be allowed. This setting may affect compatibility with client computers or services and applications. Multiple selections are permitted.

Note: Some legacy applications and OSes may still require RC4_HMAC_MD5 - we recommend you test in your environment and verify whether you can safely remove it.

Note #2: Windows Vista and below allow DES for Kerberos by default, but later OS versions do not.

Note #3: Some prerequisites might need to be met on Domain Controllers to support Kerberos AES 128 and 256 bit encryption types, as well as enabling support for Kerberos AES 128 and 256 bit on user accounts (in account options) for this recommendation to work correctly.

Note #4: If your organization uses Azure Files, please note that Microsoft did not introduce AES 256 Kerberos encryption support for it until AD DS authentication module v0.2.2. Please see this link for more information:

Azure Files on-premises AD DS Authentication support for AES 256 Kerberos encryption | Microsoft Docs
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 14.4
CSCV7 18.5
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2147483640
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.11.6 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Force logoff when logon hours expire' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether to disconnect users who are connected to the local computer outside their user account's valid logon hours. This setting affects the Server Message Block (SMB) component. If you enable this policy setting you should also enable

Microsoft network server: Disconnect clients when logon hours expire

(Rule 2.3.9.4).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

If this setting is disabled, a user could remain connected to the computer outside of their allotted logon hours.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Force logoff when logon hours expire

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.2
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(12)
800-53R5 AC-2(12)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CSCV7 16.13
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2
LEVEL 1M
NESA M5.3.1
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SS14e
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'enabled'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'disabled'
2.3.11.7 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: LAN Manager authentication level' is set to 'Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM & NTLM'
-
Info
LAN Manager (LM) was a family of early Microsoft client/server software (predating Windows NT) that allowed users to link personal computers together on a single network. LM network capabilities included transparent file and print sharing, user security features, and network administration tools. In Active Directory domains, the Kerberos protocol is the default authentication protocol. However, if the Kerberos protocol is not negotiated for some reason, Active Directory will use LM, NTLM, or NTLMv2. LAN Manager authentication includes the LM, NTLM, and NTLM version 2 (NTLMv2) variants, and is the protocol that is used to authenticate all Windows clients when they perform the following operations:

- Join a domain
- Authenticate between Active Directory forests
- Authenticate to down-level domains
- Authenticate to computers that do not run Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP
- Authenticate to computers that are not in the domain

The Network security: LAN Manager authentication level setting determines which challenge/response authentication protocol is used for network logons. This choice affects the level of authentication protocol used by clients, the level of session security negotiated, and the level of authentication accepted by servers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM & NTLM

Windows 2000 and Windows XP clients were configured by default to send LM and NTLM authentication responses (Windows 95-based and Windows 98-based clients only send LM). The default settings in OSes predating Windows Vista / Windows Server 2008 (non-R2) allowed all clients to authenticate with servers and use their resources. However, this meant that LM responses - the weakest form of authentication response - were sent over the network, and it was potentially possible for attackers to sniff that traffic to more easily reproduce the user's password.

The Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT operating systems cannot use the Kerberos version 5 protocol for authentication. For this reason, in a Windows Server 2003 domain, these computers authenticate by default with both the LM and NTLM protocols for network authentication. You can enforce a more secure authentication protocol for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT by using NTLMv2. For the logon process, NTLMv2 uses a secure channel to protect the authentication process. Even if you use NTLMv2 for older clients and servers, Windows-based clients and servers that are members of the domain will use the Kerberos authentication protocol to authenticate with Windows Server 2003 or newer Domain Controllers. For these reasons, it is strongly preferred to restrict the use of LM & NTLM (non-v2) as much as possible.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM & NTLM :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: LAN Manager authentication level

Impact:

Clients use NTLMv2 authentication only and use NTLMv2 session security if the server supports it; Domain Controllers refuse LM and NTLM (accept only NTLMv2 authentication). Clients that do not support NTLMv2 authentication will not be able to authenticate in the domain and access domain resources by using LM and NTLM.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
5
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.11.10 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based (including secure RPC) clients' is set to 'Require NTLMv2 session security, Require 128-bit encryption'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which behaviors are allowed by clients for applications using the NTLM Security Support Provider (SSP). The SSP Interface (SSPI) is used by applications that need authentication services. The setting does not modify how the authentication sequence works but instead require certain behaviors in applications that use the SSPI.

The recommended state for this setting is: Require NTLMv2 session security, Require 128-bit encryption

Note: These values are dependent on the

Network security: LAN Manager Authentication Level

(Rule 2.3.11.7) security setting value.

You can enable both options for this policy setting to help protect network traffic that uses the NTLM Security Support Provider (NTLM SSP) from being exposed or tampered with by an attacker who has gained access to the same network. In other words, these options help protect against man-in-the-middle attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Require NTLMv2 session security, Require 128-bit encryption :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based (including secure RPC) clients

Impact:

NTLM connections will fail if NTLMv2 protocol and strong encryption (128-bit) are not both negotiated. Client applications that are enforcing these settings will be unable to communicate with older servers that do not support them.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 12.5
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
537395200
Hosts

192.168.0.185

536870912
2.3.11.11 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based (including secure RPC) servers' is set to 'Require NTLMv2 session security, Require 128-bit encryption'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which behaviors are allowed by servers for applications using the NTLM Security Support Provider (SSP). The SSP Interface (SSPI) is used by applications that need authentication services. The setting does not modify how the authentication sequence works but instead require certain behaviors in applications that use the SSPI.

The recommended state for this setting is: Require NTLMv2 session security, Require 128-bit encryption

Note: These values are dependent on the

Network security: LAN Manager Authentication Level

(Rule 2.3.11.7) security setting value.

You can enable all of the options for this policy setting to help protect network traffic that uses the NTLM Security Support Provider (NTLM SSP) from being exposed or tampered with by an attacker who has gained access to the same network. That is, these options help protect against man-in-the-middle attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Require NTLMv2 session security, Require 128-bit encryption :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based (including secure RPC) servers

Impact:

NTLM connections will fail if NTLMv2 protocol and strong encryption (128-bit) are not both negotiated. Server applications that are enforcing these settings will be unable to communicate with older servers that do not support them.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 12.5
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
537395200
Hosts

192.168.0.185

536870912
2.3.11.12 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Restrict NTLM: Audit Incoming NTLM Traffic' is set to 'Enable auditing for all accounts'
-
Info
This policy setting allows the auditing of incoming NTLM traffic. Events for this setting are recorded in the operational event log (e.g. Applications and Services Log\Microsoft\Windows\NTLM).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enable auditing for all accounts

Auditing and monitoring NTLM traffic can assist in identifying systems using this outdated authentication protocol, so they can be remediated to using a more secure protocol, such as Kerberos. The log information gathered can also assist in forensic investigations after a malicious attack.

NTLM and NTLMv2 authentication is vulnerable to various attacks, including SMB relay, man-in-the-middle, and brute force attacks. Reducing and eliminating NTLM authentication in an environment reduces the risk of an attacker gaining access to systems on the network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enable auditing for all accounts :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Restrict NTLM: Audit Incoming NTLM Traffic

Impact:

The event log will contain information on incoming NTLM authentication traffic.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.11.13 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Restrict NTLM: Outgoing NTLM traffic to remote servers' is set to 'Audit all' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting allows the auditing of outgoing NTLM traffic. Events for this setting are recorded in the operational event log (e.g. Applications and Services Log\Microsoft\Windows\NTLM).

The recommended state for this setting is: Audit all Configuring this setting to Deny All also conforms to the benchmark.

Note: Configuring this setting to Deny All is more secure, however it could have a negative impact on applications that still require NTLM. Test carefully before implementing the Deny All value.

Auditing and monitoring NTLM traffic can assist in identifying systems using this outdated authentication protocol, so they can be remediated to using a more secure protocol, such as Kerberos. The log information gathered can also assist in forensic investigations after a malicious attack.

NTLM and NTLMv2 authentication is vulnerable to various attacks, including SMB relay, man-in-the-middle, and brute force attacks. Reducing and eliminating NTLM authentication in an environment reduces the risk of an attacker gaining access to systems on the network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Audit all or higher:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Restrict NTLM: Outgoing NTLM traffic to remote servers

Impact:

The event log will contain information on outgoing NTLM authentication traffic.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.14.1 (L2) Ensure 'System cryptography: Force strong key protection for user keys stored on the computer' is set to 'User is prompted when the key is first used' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether users' private keys (such as their S-MIME keys) require a password to be used.

The recommended state for this setting is: User is prompted when the key is first used Configuring this setting to User must enter a password each time they use a key also conforms to the benchmark.

If a user's account is compromised or their computer is inadvertently left unsecured the malicious user can use the keys stored for the user to access protected resources. You can configure this policy setting so that users must provide a password that is distinct from their domain password every time they use a key. This configuration makes it more difficult for an attacker to access locally stored user keys, even if the attacker takes control of the user's computer and determines their logon password.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to User is prompted when the key is first used or User must enter a password each time they use a key :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\System cryptography: Force strong key protection for user keys stored on the computer

Impact:

Users will have to enter their password the first time they access a key that is stored on their computer. For example, if users use an S-MIME certificate to digitally sign their e-mail they will be forced to enter the password for that certificate the first time that they send a signed e-mail message. For even stronger security, the value User must enter a password each time they use a key can be set, but the overhead that is involved using this configuration may be too high for some organizations.

Microsoft does not recommend enforcing this setting on servers due to the significant impact on manageability. For example, you may not be able to configure Remote Desktop Services to use SSL certificates. More information is available in the Windows PKI TechNet Blog here:

What is a strong key protection in Windows?

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.16
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-28
800-53 SC-28(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-28
800-53R5 SC-28(1)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(b)
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 3.11
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.DS-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iv)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(ii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-28
ITSG-33 SC-28a.
ITSG-33 SC-28(1)
LEVEL 2A
NESA T5.2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 3.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.3.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 28.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.17.1 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the behavior of Admin Approval Mode for the built-in Administrator account.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

One of the risks that the User Account Control feature introduced with Windows Vista is trying to mitigate is that of malicious software running under elevated credentials without the user or administrator being aware of its activity. An attack vector for these programs was to discover the password of the account named 'Administrator' because that user account was created for all installations of Windows. To address this risk, in Windows Vista or newer, the built-in Administrator account is now disabled by default. In a default installation of a new computer, accounts with administrative control over the computer are initially set up in one of two ways:

- If the computer is not joined to a domain, the first user account you create has the equivalent permissions as a local administrator.
- If the computer is joined to a domain, no local administrator accounts are created. The Enterprise or Domain Administrator must log on to the computer and create one if a local administrator account is warranted.

Once Windows is installed, the built-in Administrator account may be manually enabled, but we strongly recommend that this account remain disabled.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account

Impact:

The built-in Administrator account uses Admin Approval Mode. Users that log on using the local Administrator account will be prompted for consent whenever a program requests an elevation in privilege, just like any other user would.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 4.4
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.17.2 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode' is set to 'Prompt for consent on the secure desktop' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting controls the behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators.

The recommended state for this setting is: Prompt for consent on the secure desktop Configuring this setting to Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop also conforms to the benchmark.

One of the risks that the UAC feature introduced with Windows Vista is trying to mitigate is that of malicious software running under elevated credentials without the user or administrator being aware of its activity. This setting raises awareness to the administrator of elevated privilege operations and permits the administrator to prevent a malicious program from elevating its privilege when the program attempts to do so.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Prompt for consent on the secure desktop or Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode

Impact:

When an operation (including execution of a Windows binary) requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted on the secure desktop to select either Permit or Deny. If the user selects Permit, the operation continues with the user's highest available privilege.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

5
2.3.17.3 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users' is set to 'Automatically deny elevation requests'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users.

The recommended state for this setting is: Automatically deny elevation requests

One of the risks that the User Account Control feature introduced with Windows Vista is trying to mitigate is that of malicious programs running under elevated credentials without the user or administrator being aware of their activity. This setting raises awareness to the user that a program requires the use of elevated privilege operations and requires that the user be able to supply administrative credentials in order for the program to run.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Automatically deny elevation requests:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users

Impact:

When an operation requires elevation of privilege, a configurable access denied error message is displayed. An enterprise that is running desktops as standard user may choose this setting to reduce help desk calls.

Note: With this setting configured as recommended, the default error message displayed when a user attempts to perform an operation or run a program requiring privilege elevation (without Administrator rights) is '

This program will not run. This program is blocked by group policy. For more information, contact your system administrator.

' Some users who are not used to seeing this message may believe that the operation or program they attempted to run is specifically blocked by group policy, as that is what the message seems to imply. This message may therefore result in user questions as to why that specific operation/program is blocked, when in fact, the problem is that they need to perform the operation or run the program with an Administrative account (or 'Run as Administrator' if it

is

already an Administrator account), and they are not doing that.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.1 (L2) Ensure 'Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service (BTAGService)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Service supporting the audio gateway role of the Bluetooth Handsfree Profile.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Bluetooth technology has inherent security risks - especially prior to the v2.1 standard. Wireless Bluetooth traffic is not well encrypted (if at all), so in a high-security environment, it should not be permitted, in spite of the added inconvenience of not being able to use Bluetooth devices.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service

Note: This service was first introduced in Windows 10 Release 1803. It appears to have replaced the older

Bluetooth Handsfree Service (BthHFSrv)

, which was removed from Windows in that release (it is not simply a rename, but a different service).

Impact:

Bluetooth hands-free devices will not function properly with the computer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.2 (L2) Ensure 'Bluetooth Support Service (bthserv)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
The Bluetooth service supports discovery and association of remote Bluetooth devices.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Bluetooth technology has inherent security risks - especially prior to the v2.1 standard. Wireless Bluetooth traffic is not well encrypted (if at all), so in a high-security environment, it should not be permitted, in spite of the added inconvenience of not being able to use Bluetooth devices.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Bluetooth Support Service

Impact:

Already installed Bluetooth devices may fail to operate properly and new devices may be prevented from being discovered or associated. If Bluetooth devices were installed, then some Windows components, such as Devices and Printers, may fail to operate correctly - including hanging/freezing when opened. The solution, besides re-enabling this service, is to disable or delete the offending Bluetooth device(s) in Device Manager, or disable the device altogether via the system BIOS (if it is an on-board Bluetooth device).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.4 (L2) Ensure 'Downloaded Maps Manager (MapsBroker)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Windows service for application access to downloaded maps. This service is started on-demand by application accessing downloaded maps.

Mapping technologies can unwillingly reveal your location to attackers and other software that picks up the information. In addition, automatic downloads of data from third-party sources should be minimized when not needed. Therefore, this service should not be needed in high security environments.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Downloaded Maps Manager

Impact:

Applications will be prevented from accessing maps data.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

2
5.5 (L2) Ensure 'GameInput Service (GameInputSvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service enables the use of keyboards, mice, gamepads, and other input devices to be used with the GameInput API.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: GameInput service runs as LocalSystem in its own process of GameInputSvc.exe and doesn't share its process with other services.

GameInput API pipes input from keyboards, mice, gamepads, and other game controllers via Direct Memory Access (DMA) to decrease latency for gaming performance. This DMA use increases the risk of input data (especially keystrokes) being captured by a malicious attacker.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\GameInput Service

Impact:

Input devices will not be able to utilize the GameInput API.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.6 (L2) Ensure 'Geolocation Service (lfsvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service monitors the current location of the system and manages geofences (a geographical location with associated events).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This setting affects the location feature (e.g. GPS or other location tracking). From a security perspective, it's not a good idea to reveal your location to software in most cases, but there are legitimate uses, such as mapping software. However, they should not be used in high security environments.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Geolocation Service

Impact:

Applications will be unable to use or receive notifications for geolocation or geofences.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.9 (L2) Ensure 'Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper (lltdsvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Creates a Network Map, consisting of PC and device topology (connectivity) information, and metadata describing each PC and device.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

The feature that this service enables could potentially be used for unauthorized discovery and connection to network devices. Disabling the service helps to prevent responses to requests for network topology discovery in high security environments.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper

Impact:

The Network Map will not function properly.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.12 (L2) Ensure 'Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service (MSiSCSI)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Manages Internet SCSI (iSCSI) sessions from this computer to remote target devices.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This service is critically necessary in order to directly attach to an iSCSI device. However, iSCSI itself uses a very weak authentication protocol (CHAP), which means that the passwords for iSCSI communication are easily exposed, unless all of the traffic is isolated and/or encrypted using another technology like IPsec. This service is generally more appropriate for servers in a controlled environment then on workstations requiring high security.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service

Impact:

The computer will not be able to directly login to or access iSCSI targets.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.14 (L2) Ensure 'Print Spooler (Spooler)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service spools print jobs and handles interaction with printers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, unnecessary services especially those with known vulnerabilities should be disabled.

Disabling the Print Spooler (Spooler) service mitigates the PrintNightmare vulnerability (

CVE-2021-34527

) and other attacks against the service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Print Spooler

Impact:

Users will not be able to print, including printing to files (such as Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)) which uses the Print Spooler service.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

2
5.15 (L2) Ensure 'Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support (wercplsupport)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service provides support for viewing, sending and deletion of system-level problem reports for the Problem Reports and Solutions control panel.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This service is involved in the process of displaying/reporting issues & solutions to/from Microsoft. In a high security environment, preventing this information from being sent can help reduce privacy concerns for sensitive corporate information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support

Impact:

Sending and viewing system-level problem reports and solutions to and from Microsoft may no longer function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.16 (L2) Ensure 'Remote Access Auto Connection Manager (RasAuto)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Creates a connection to a remote network whenever a program references a remote DNS or NetBIOS name or address.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

The function of this service is to provide a 'demand dial' type of functionality. In a high security environment, it is preferred that any remote 'dial' connections (whether they be legacy dial-in POTS or VPN) are initiated by the user

not

automatically by the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Remote Access Auto Connection Manager

Impact:

'Dial on demand' functionality will no longer operate - remote dial-in (POTS) and VPN connections must be initiated manually by the user.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.17 (L2) Ensure 'Remote Desktop Configuration (SessionEnv)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Remote Desktop Configuration service (RDCS) is responsible for all Remote Desktop related configuration and session maintenance activities that require SYSTEM context. These include per-session temporary folders, RD themes, and RD certificates.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, Remote Desktop access is an increased security risk. For these environments, only local console access should be permitted.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Remote Desktop Configuration

Impact:

Users will be unable to use Remote Assistance.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.18 (L2) Ensure 'Remote Desktop Services (TermService)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Allows users to connect interactively to a remote computer. Remote Desktop and Remote Desktop Session Host Server depend on this service.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, Remote Desktop access is an increased security risk. For these environments, only local console access should be permitted.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Remote Desktop Services

Impact:

Remote Desktop Services will not be available on the computer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.19 (L2) Ensure 'Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector (UmRdpService)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Allows the redirection of Printers/Drives/Ports for RDP connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface - preventing the redirection of COM, LPT and PnP ports will reduce the number of unexpected avenues for data exfiltration and/or malicious code transfer within an RDP session.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector

Impact:

Printers, drives and ports (COM, LPT, PnP, etc.) will not be allowed to be redirected inside RDP sessions.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.20 (L1) Ensure 'Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator (RpcLocator)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
In Windows 2003 and older versions of Windows, the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator service manages the RPC name service database. In Windows Vista or newer versions of Windows, this service does not provide any functionality and is present for application compatibility.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This is a legacy service that has no value or purpose other than application compatibility for very old software. It should be disabled unless there is a specific old application still in use on the system that requires it.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator

Impact:

No impact, unless an old, legacy application requires it.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.21 (L2) Ensure 'Remote Registry (RemoteRegistry)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Enables remote users to view and modify registry settings on this computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, exposing the registry to remote access is an increased security risk.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Remote Registry

Impact:

The registry can be viewed and modified only by users on the computer.

Note: Many remote administration tools, such as System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), require the Remote Registry service to be operational for remote management. In addition, many vulnerability scanners use this service to access the registry remotely.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

2
5.23 (L2) Ensure 'Server (LanmanServer)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Supports file, print, and named-pipe sharing over the network for this computer. If this service is stopped, these functions will be unavailable.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, a secure workstation should only be a

client

, not a server. Sharing workstation resources for remote access increases security risk as the attack surface is notably higher.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Server

Impact:

File, print and named-pipe sharing functions will be unavailable from this machine over the network.

Note: Many remote administration tools, such as System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), require the Server service to be operational for remote management. In addition, many vulnerability scanners use this service to scan the file system remotely.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

2
5.27 (L1) Ensure 'SSDP Discovery (SSDPSRV)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Discovers networked devices and services that use the SSDP discovery protocol, such as UPnP devices. Also announces SSDP devices and services running on the local computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Universal Plug n Play (UPnP) is a real security risk - it allows automatic discovery and attachment to network devices. Note that UPnP is different than regular Plug n Play (PnP). Workstations should not be advertising their services (or automatically discovering and connecting to networked services) in a security-conscious enterprise managed environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\SSDP Discovery

Impact:

SSDP-based devices will not be discovered.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.28 (L1) Ensure 'UPnP Device Host (upnphost)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Allows UPnP devices to be hosted on this computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Universal Plug n Play (UPnP) is a real security risk - it allows automatic discovery and attachment to network devices. Notes that UPnP is different than regular Plug n Play (PnP). Workstations should not be advertising their services (or automatically discovering and connecting to networked services) in a security-conscious enterprise managed environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\UPnP Device Host

Impact:

Any hosted UPnP devices will stop functioning and no additional hosted devices can be added.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.30 (L2) Ensure 'Windows Error Reporting Service (WerSvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Allows errors to be reported when programs stop working or responding and allows existing solutions to be delivered. Also allows logs to be generated for diagnostic and repair services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If a Windows Error occurs in a secure, enterprise managed environment, the error should be reported directly to IT staff for troubleshooting and remediation. There is no benefit to the corporation to report these errors directly to Microsoft, and there is some risk of unknowingly exposing sensitive data as part of the error.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Windows Error Reporting Service

Impact:

If this service is stopped, error reporting might not work correctly and results of diagnostic services and repairs might not be displayed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.31 (L2) Ensure 'Windows Event Collector (Wecsvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service manages persistent subscriptions to events from remote sources that support WS-Management protocol. This includes Windows Vista event logs, hardware and IPMI-enabled event sources. The service stores forwarded events in a local Event Log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, remote connections to secure workstations should be minimized, and management functions should be done locally.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Windows Event Collector

Impact:

If this service is stopped or disabled event subscriptions cannot be created and forwarded events cannot be accepted.

Note: Many remote management tools and third-party security audit tools depend on this service.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.32 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service (WMPNetworkSvc)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Shares Windows Media Player libraries to other networked players and media devices using Universal Plug and Play.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Network sharing of media from Media Player has no place in an enterprise managed environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service

Impact:

Windows Media Player libraries will not be shared over the network to other devices and systems.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.33 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Mobile Hotspot Service (icssvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Provides the ability to share a cellular data connection with another device.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

The capability to run a mobile hotspot from a domain-connected computer could easily expose the internal network to wardrivers or other hackers.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Windows Mobile Hotspot Service

Impact:

The Windows Mobile Hotspot feature will not be available.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.34 (L2) Ensure 'Windows Push Notifications System Service (WpnService)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service runs in session 0 and hosts the notification platform and connection provider which handles the connection between the device and WNS server.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: In the first two releases of Windows 10 (R1507 & R1511), the display name of this service was initially named

Windows Push Notifications Service

- but it was renamed to

Windows Push Notifications System Service

starting with Windows 10 R1607.

Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) is a mechanism to receive third-party notifications and updates from the cloud/Internet. In a high security environment, external systems, especially those hosted outside the organization, should be prevented from having an impact on the secure workstations.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Windows Push Notifications System Service

Impact:

Live Tiles and other features will not get live updates.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

2
5.35 (L2) Ensure 'Windows PushToInstall Service (PushToInstall)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service manages Apps that are pushed to the device from the Microsoft Store App running on other devices or the web.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security managed environment, application installations should be managed centrally by IT staff, not by end users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Windows PushToInstall Service (PushToInstall)

Impact:

Users will not be able to push Apps to this device from the Microsoft Store running on other devices or the web.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.36 (L2) Ensure 'Windows Remote Management (WS-Management) (WinRM)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service implements the WS-Management protocol for remote management. WS-Management is a standard web services protocol used for remote software and hardware management. The WinRM service listens on the network for WS-Management requests and processes them.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Features that enable inbound network connections increase the attack surface. In a high security environment, management of secure workstations should be handled locally.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)

Impact:

The ability to remotely manage the system with WinRM will be lost.

Note: Many remote administration tools, such as System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), may require the WinRM service to be operational for remote management.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

2
5.37 (L2) Ensure 'WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service (WinHttpAutoProxySvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
WinHTTP implements the client HTTP stack and provides developers with a Win32 API and COM Automation component for sending HTTP requests and receiving responses. In addition, WinHTTP provides support for auto-discovering a proxy configuration via its implementation of the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) protocol.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Although CIS categorizes this as a L2 recommendation, if none of the cases listed in the Impact Section apply, we highly recommend disabling this service.

This service is primarily needed to support Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD), which is an auto-proxy discovery mechanism that could expose the computer to Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) attacks. If an organization depends on HTTP proxy configuration, it is recommended that other client configuration mechanisms be used instead, such as Group Policy.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service

Impact:

WPAD will cease to function for automatic HTTP proxy routing, which may prevent Internet connectivity for workstations in organizations that currently use WPAD. Microsoft also cautions that some software that uses the network stack may have a functional dependency on this service, so it is advised that you test disabling this service on a representation of user workstations and applications before disabling it across the entire organization.

Beginning with Windows 10 Release 1709, Microsoft changed the WPAD service to tightly integrate it with all proxy activity. Disabling this service now has these additional impacts:

- The ability to set a manual (not just auto) proxy configuration.
- Some VPN clients require the WPAD service, so disabling WPAD breaks them.
- Some network-related applications will not work without WPAD running (e.g. Fiddler).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.39 (L1) Ensure 'Xbox Accessory Management Service (XboxGipSvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service manages connected Xbox Accessories.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Xbox Live is a gaming service and has no place in an enterprise managed environment (perhaps unless it is a gaming company).
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Xbox Accessory Management Service

Impact:

Connected Xbox accessories may not function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.40 (L1) Ensure 'Xbox Live Auth Manager (XblAuthManager)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Provides authentication and authorization services for interacting with Xbox Live.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Xbox Live is a gaming service and has no place in an enterprise managed environment (perhaps unless it is a gaming company).
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Xbox Live Auth Manager

Impact:

Connections to Xbox Live may fail and applications that interact with that service may also fail.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.41 (L1) Ensure 'Xbox Live Game Save (XblGameSave)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service syncs save data for Xbox Live save enabled games.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Xbox Live is a gaming service and has no place in an enterprise managed environment (perhaps unless it is a gaming company).
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Xbox Live Game Save

Impact:

Game save data will not upload to or download from Xbox Live.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
5.42 (L1) Ensure 'Xbox Live Networking Service (XboxNetApiSvc)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This service supports the Windows.Networking.XboxLive application programming interface.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Xbox Live is a gaming service and has no place in an enterprise managed environment (perhaps unless it is a gaming company).
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Xbox Live Networking Service

Impact:

Connections to Xbox Live may fail and applications that interact with that service may also fail.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

3
9.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Domain: Firewall state' is set to 'On (recommended)'
-
Info
Select On (recommended) to have Windows Firewall with Advanced Security use the settings for this profile to filter network traffic. If you select Off, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security will not use any of the firewall rules or connection security rules for this profile.

The recommended state for this setting is: On (recommended)

If the firewall is turned off all traffic will be able to access the system and an attacker may be more easily able to remotely exploit a weakness in a network service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to On (recommended) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Domain Profile\Firewall state

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Domain: Inbound connections' is set to 'Block (default)'
-
Info
This setting determines the behavior for inbound connections that do not match an inbound firewall rule.

The recommended state for this setting is: Block (default)

If the firewall allows all traffic to access the system then an attacker may be more easily able to remotely exploit a weakness in a network service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Block (default) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Domain Profile\Inbound connections

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.2
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.1.3 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Domain: Settings: Display a notification' is set to 'No'
-
Info
Select this option to have Windows Firewall with Advanced Security display notifications to the user when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: No

Note: When the Apply local firewall rules setting is configured to No it's recommended to also configure the Display a notification setting to No Otherwise, users will continue to receive messages that ask if they want to unblock a restricted inbound connection, but the user's response will be ignored.

Firewall notifications can be complex and may confuse the end users, who would not be able to address the alert.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Domain Profile\Settings Customize\Display a notification

Impact:

Windows Firewall will not display a notification when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.2
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.1.4 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Domain: Logging: Name' is set to '%SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\domainfw.log'
-
Info
Use this option to specify the path and name of the file in which Windows Firewall will write its log information.

The recommended state for this setting is: %SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\domainfw.log

If Windows Firewall events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible for Administrators to analyze system issues or unauthorized activities of malicious users.

Microsoft stores all firewall events as one file on the system ( pfirewall.log ). To improve logging, separate each firewall profile (domain, private, public) into its own distinct log file ( domainfw.log privatefw.log publicfw.log ) for better organization and identification of specific issues within each profile.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to %SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\domainfw.log :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Domain Profile\Logging Customize\Name

Impact:

The log file will be stored in the specified file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-2
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 8.2
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\logfiles\firewall\domainfw.log'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
9.1.5 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Domain: Logging: Size limit (KB)' is set to '16,384 KB or greater'
-
Info
Use this option to specify the size limit of the file in which Windows Firewall will write its log information.

The recommended state for this setting is: 16,384 KB or greater

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 16,384 KB or greater :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Domain Profile\Logging Customize\Size limit (KB)

Impact:

The log file size will be limited to the specified size, old events will be overwritten by newer ones when the limit is reached.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[16384..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.1.6 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Domain: Logging: Log dropped packets' is set to 'Yes'
-
Info
Use this option to log when Windows Firewall with Advanced Security discards an inbound packet for any reason. The log records why and when the packet was dropped. Look for entries with the word DROP in the action column of the log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Yes

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Yes :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Domain Profile\Logging Customize\Log dropped packets

Impact:

Information about dropped packets will be recorded in the firewall log file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.1.7 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Domain: Logging: Log successful connections' is set to 'Yes'
-
Info
Use this option to log when Windows Firewall with Advanced Security allows an inbound connection. The log records why and when the connection was formed. Look for entries with the word ALLOW in the action column of the log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Yes

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Yes :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Domain Profile\Logging Customize\Log successful connections

Impact:

Information about successful connections will be recorded in the firewall log file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Private: Firewall state' is set to 'On (recommended)'
-
Info
Select On (recommended) to have Windows Firewall with Advanced Security use the settings for this profile to filter network traffic. If you select Off, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security will not use any of the firewall rules or connection security rules for this profile.

The recommended state for this setting is: On (recommended)

If the firewall is turned off all traffic will be able to access the system and an attacker may be more easily able to remotely exploit a weakness in a network service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to On (recommended) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Private Profile\Firewall state

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Private: Inbound connections' is set to 'Block (default)'
-
Info
This setting determines the behavior for inbound connections that do not match an inbound firewall rule.

The recommended state for this setting is: Block (default)

If the firewall allows all traffic to access the system then an attacker may be more easily able to remotely exploit a weakness in a network service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Block (default) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Private Profile\Inbound connections

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.2
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Private: Settings: Display a notification' is set to 'No'
-
Info
Select this option to have Windows Firewall with Advanced Security display notifications to the user when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: No

Note: When the Apply local firewall rules setting is configured to No it's recommended to also configure the Display a notification setting to No Otherwise, users will continue to receive messages that ask if they want to unblock a restricted inbound connection, but the user's response will be ignored.

Firewall notifications can be complex and may confuse the end users, who would not be able to address the alert.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Private Profile\Settings Customize\Display a notification

Impact:

Windows Firewall will not display a notification when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.2
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.2.4 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Private: Logging: Name' is set to '%SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\privatefw.log'
-
Info
Use this option to specify the path and name of the file in which Windows Firewall will write its log information.

The recommended state for this setting is: %SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\privatefw.log

If Windows Firewall events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible for Administrators to analyze system issues or unauthorized activities of malicious users.

Microsoft stores all firewall events as one file on the system ( pfirewall.log ). To improve logging, separate each firewall profile (domain, private, public) into its own distinct log file ( domainfw.log privatefw.log publicfw.log ) for better organization and identification of specific issues within each profile.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to %SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\privatefw.log :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Private Profile\Logging Customize\Name

Impact:

The log file will be stored in the specified file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-2
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 8.2
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\logfiles\firewall\privatefw.log'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
9.2.5 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Private: Logging: Size limit (KB)' is set to '16,384 KB or greater'
-
Info
Use this option to specify the size limit of the file in which Windows Firewall will write its log information.

The recommended state for this setting is: 16,384 KB or greater

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 16,384 KB or greater :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Private Profile\Logging Customize\Size limit (KB)

Impact:

The log file size will be limited to the specified size, old events will be overwritten by newer ones when the limit is reached.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[16384..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.2.6 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Private: Logging: Log dropped packets' is set to 'Yes'
-
Info
Use this option to log when Windows Firewall with Advanced Security discards an inbound packet for any reason. The log records why and when the packet was dropped. Look for entries with the word DROP in the action column of the log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Yes

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Yes :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Private Profile\Logging Customize\Log dropped packets

Impact:

Information about dropped packets will be recorded in the firewall log file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.2.7 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Private: Logging: Log successful connections' is set to 'Yes'
-
Info
Use this option to log when Windows Firewall with Advanced Security allows an inbound connection. The log records why and when the connection was formed. Look for entries with the word ALLOW in the action column of the log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Yes

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Yes :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Private Profile\Logging Customize\Log successful connections

Impact:

Information about successful connections will be recorded in the firewall log file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.1 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Firewall state' is set to 'On (recommended)'
-
Info
Select On (recommended) to have Windows Firewall with Advanced Security use the settings for this profile to filter network traffic. If you select Off, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security will not use any of the firewall rules or connection security rules for this profile.

The recommended state for this setting is: On (recommended)

If the firewall is turned off all traffic will be able to access the system and an attacker may be more easily able to remotely exploit a weakness in a network service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to On (recommended):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Firewall state

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.2 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Inbound connections' is set to 'Block (default)'
-
Info
This setting determines the behavior for inbound connections that do not match an inbound firewall rule.

The recommended state for this setting is: Block (default)

If the firewall allows all traffic to access the system then an attacker may be more easily able to remotely exploit a weakness in a network service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Block (default) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Inbound connections

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.2
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.3 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Settings: Display a notification' is set to 'No'
-
Info
Select this option to have Windows Firewall with Advanced Security display notifications to the user when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: No

Some organizations may prefer to avoid alarming users when firewall rules block certain types of network activity. However, notifications can be helpful when troubleshooting network issues involving the firewall.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 'No':

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Settings Customize\Display a notification

Impact:

Windows Firewall will not display a notification when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.2
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.4 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Settings: Apply local firewall rules' is set to 'No'
-
Info
This setting controls whether local administrators are allowed to create local firewall rules that apply together with firewall rules configured by Group Policy.

The recommended state for this setting is: No

Note: When the Apply local firewall rules setting is configured to No it's recommended to also configure the Display a notification setting to No Otherwise, users will continue to receive messages that ask if they want to unblock a restricted inbound connection, but the user's response will be ignored.

When in the Public profile, there should be no special local firewall exceptions per computer. These settings should be managed by a centralized policy.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Settings Customize\Apply local firewall rules

Impact:

Administrators can still create firewall rules, but the rules will not be applied.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.3
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.5 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Settings: Apply local connection security rules' is set to 'No'
-
Info
This setting controls whether local administrators are allowed to create connection security rules that apply together with connection security rules configured by Group Policy.

The recommended state for this setting is: No

Users with administrative privileges might create firewall rules that expose the system to remote attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Settings Customize\Apply local connection security rules

Impact:

Administrators can still create local connection security rules, but the rules will not be applied.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV7 11.2
CSCV8 4.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.6 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Logging: Name' is set to '%SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\publicfw.log'
-
Info
Use this option to specify the path and name of the file in which Windows Firewall will write its log information.

The recommended state for this setting is: %SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\publicfw.log

If Windows Firewall events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible for Administrators to analyze system issues or unauthorized activities of malicious users.

Microsoft stores all firewall events as one file on the system ( pfirewall.log ). To improve logging, separate each firewall profile (domain, private, public) into its own distinct log file ( domainfw.log privatefw.log publicfw.log ) for better organization and identification of specific issues within each profile.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to %SystemRoot%\System32\logfiles\firewall\publicfw.log :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Logging Customize\Name

Impact:

The log file will be stored in the specified file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-2
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 8.2
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\logfiles\firewall\publicfw.log'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
9.3.7 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Logging: Size limit (KB)' is set to '16,384 KB or greater'
-
Info
Use this option to specify the size limit of the file in which Windows Firewall will write its log information.

The recommended state for this setting is: 16,384 KB or greater

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 16,384 KB or greater :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Logging Customize\Size limit (KB)

Impact:

The log file size will be limited to the specified size, old events will be overwritten by newer ones when the limit is reached.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[16384..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.8 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Logging: Log dropped packets' is set to 'Yes'
-
Info
Use this option to log when Windows Firewall with Advanced Security discards an inbound packet for any reason. The log records why and when the packet was dropped. Look for entries with the word DROP in the action column of the log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Yes

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Yes :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Logging Customize\Log dropped packets

Impact:

Information about dropped packets will be recorded in the firewall log file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
9.3.9 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Logging: Log successful connections' is set to 'Yes'
-
Info
Use this option to log when Windows Firewall with Advanced Security allows an inbound connection. The log records why and when the connection was formed. Look for entries with the word ALLOW in the action column of the log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Yes

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Yes

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Defender Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Logging Customize\Log successful connections

Impact:

Information about successful connections will be recorded in the firewall log file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171 3.13.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-171R3 03.13.06
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53 SC-7
800-53 SC-7(5)
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
800-53R5 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7(5)
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(c)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 9.4
CSCV8 4.5
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
ITSG-33 SC-7
ITSG-33 SC-7(5)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
NIAV2 GS7b
NIAV2 NS25
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
17.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Credential Validation' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports the results of validation tests on credentials submitted for a user account logon request. These events occur on the computer that is authoritative for the credentials. For domain accounts, the Domain Controller is authoritative, whereas for local accounts, the local computer is authoritative. In domain environments, most of the Account Logon events occur in the Security log of the Domain Controllers that are authoritative for the domain accounts. However, these events can occur on other computers in the organization when local accounts are used to log on. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4774: An account was mapped for logon.
- 4775: An account could not be mapped for logon.
- 4776: The Domain Controller attempted to validate the credentials for an account.
- 4777: The Domain Controller failed to validate the credentials for an account.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Account Logon\Audit Credential Validation

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Application Group Management' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to audit events generated by changes to application groups such as the following:

- Application group is created, changed, or deleted.
- Member is added or removed from an application group.

Application groups are utilized by Windows Authorization Manager, which is a flexible framework created by Microsoft for integrating role-based access control (RBAC) into applications. More information on Windows Authorization Manager is available at

MSDN - Windows Authorization Manager

.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Note: Although Microsoft '

Deprecated

' Windows Authorization Manager (AzMan) in Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2, this feature still exists in the OS (unimproved), and therefore should still be audited.

Auditing events in this category may be useful when investigating an incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Account Management\Audit Application Group Management

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Audit User Account Management' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports each event of user account management, such as when a user account is created, changed, or deleted; a user account is renamed, disabled, or enabled; or a password is set or changed. If you enable this Audit policy setting, administrators can track events to detect malicious, accidental, and authorized creation of user accounts. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4720: A user account was created.
- 4722: A user account was enabled.
- 4723: An attempt was made to change an account's password.
- 4724: An attempt was made to reset an account's password.
- 4725: A user account was disabled.
- 4726: A user account was deleted.
- 4738: A user account was changed.
- 4740: A user account was locked out.
- 4765: SID History was added to an account.
- 4766: An attempt to add SID History to an account failed.
- 4767: A user account was unlocked.
- 4780: The ACL was set on accounts which are members of administrators groups.
- 4781: The name of an account was changed:
- 4794: An attempt was made to set the Directory Services Restore Mode.
- 5376: Credential Manager credentials were backed up.
- 5377: Credential Manager credentials were restored from a backup.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Account Management\Audit User Account Management

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.3.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit PNP Activity' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to audit when plug and play detects an external device.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Note: A Windows 10, Server 2016 or newer OS is required to access and set this value in Group Policy.

Enabling this setting will allow a user to audit events when a device is plugged into a system. This can help alert IT staff if unapproved devices are plugged in.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Detailed Tracking\Audit PNP Activity

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.3.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Process Creation' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports the creation of a process and the name of the program or user that created it. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4688: A new process has been created.
- 4696: A primary token was assigned to process.

Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 947226:

Description of security events in Windows Vista and in Windows Server 2008

for the most recent information about this setting.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Detailed Tracking\Audit Process Creation

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.5.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Account Lockout' is set to include 'Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports when a user's account is locked out as a result of too many failed logon attempts. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4625: An account failed to log on.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Logon/Logoff\Audit Account Lockout

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 16.6
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'failure' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.5.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Group Membership' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This policy allows you to audit the group membership information in the user's logon token. Events in this subcategory are generated on the computer on which a logon session is created. For an interactive logon, the security audit event is generated on the computer that the user logged on to. For a network logon, such as accessing a shared folder on the network, the security audit event is generated on the computer hosting the resource.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Note: A Windows 10, Server 2016 or newer OS is required to access and set this value in Group Policy.

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Logon/Logoff\Audit Group Membership

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 4.8
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 16.6
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.5.5 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Other Logon/Logoff Events' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports other logon/logoff-related events, such as Remote Desktop Services session disconnects and reconnects, using RunAs to run processes under a different account, and locking and unlocking a workstation. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4649: A replay attack was detected.
- 4778: A session was reconnected to a Window Station.
- 4779: A session was disconnected from a Window Station.
- 4800: The workstation was locked.
- 4801: The workstation was unlocked.
- 4802: The screen saver was invoked.
- 4803: The screen saver was dismissed.
- 5378: The requested credentials delegation was disallowed by policy.
- 5632: A request was made to authenticate to a wireless network.
- 5633: A request was made to authenticate to a wired network.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Logon/Logoff\Audit Other Logon/Logoff Events

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 16.13
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.6.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Detailed File Share' is set to include 'Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory allows you to audit attempts to access files and folders on a shared folder. Events for this subcategory include:

- 5145: network share object was checked to see whether client can be granted desired access.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Failure

Auditing the Failures will log which unauthorized users attempted (and failed) to get access to a file or folder on a network share on this computer, which could possibly be an indication of malicious intent.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Object Access\Audit Detailed File Share

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 14.6
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'failure' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.6.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit File Share' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to audit attempts to access a shared folder.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Note: There are no system access control lists (SACLs) for shared folders. If this policy setting is enabled, access to all shared folders on the system is audited.

In an enterprise managed environment, workstations should have limited file sharing activity, as file servers would normally handle the overall burden of file sharing activities. Any unusual file sharing activity on workstations may therefore be useful in an investigation of potentially malicious activity.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Object Access\Audit File Share

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 14.6
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.6.3 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Other Object Access Events' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to audit events generated by the management of task scheduler jobs or COM+ objects.

For scheduler jobs, the following are audited:

- Job created.
- Job deleted.
- Job enabled.
- Job disabled.
- Job updated.

For COM+ objects, the following are audited:

- Catalog object added.
- Catalog object updated.
- Catalog object deleted.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

The unexpected creation of scheduled tasks and COM+ objects could potentially be an indication of malicious activity. Since these types of actions are generally low volume, it may be useful to capture them in the audit logs for use during an investigation.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Object Access\Audit Other Object Access Events

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.6.4 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Removable Storage' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to audit user attempts to access file system objects on a removable storage device. A security audit event is generated only for all objects for all types of access requested. If you configure this policy setting, an audit event is generated each time an account accesses a file system object on a removable storage. Success audits record successful attempts and Failure audits record unsuccessful attempts. If you do not configure this policy setting, no audit event is generated when an account accesses a file system object on a removable storage.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Note: A Windows 8.0, Server 2012 (non-R2) or newer OS is required to access and set this value in Group Policy.

Auditing removable storage may be useful when investigating an incident. For example, if an individual is suspected of copying sensitive information onto a USB drive.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Object Access\Audit Removable Storage

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.7.3 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Authorization Policy Change' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports changes in authorization policy. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4703: A user right was adjusted.
- 4704: A user right was assigned.
- 4705: A user right was removed.
- 4670: Permissions on an object were changed.
- 4911: Resource attributes of the object were changed.
- 4913: Central Access Policy on the object was changed.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Policy Change\Audit Authorization Policy Change

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 5.5
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.7.4 (L1) Ensure 'Audit MPSSVC Rule-Level Policy Change' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory determines whether the operating system generates audit events when changes are made to policy rules for the Microsoft Protection Service (MPSSVC.exe). Events for this subcategory include:

-

4944: The following policy was active when the Windows Firewall started.

-

4945: A rule was listed when the Windows Firewall started.

-

4946: A change has been made to Windows Firewall exception list. A rule was added.

-

4947: A change has been made to Windows Firewall exception list. A rule was modified.

-

4948: A change has been made to Windows Firewall exception list. A rule was deleted.

-

4949: Windows Firewall settings were restored to the default values.

-

4950: A Windows Firewall setting has changed.

-

4951: A rule has been ignored because its major version number was not recognized by Windows Firewall.

-

4952: Parts of a rule have been ignored because its minor version number was not recognized by Windows Firewall. The other parts of the rule will be enforced.

-

4953: A rule has been ignored by Windows Firewall because it could not parse the rule.

-

4954: Windows Firewall Group Policy settings have changed. The new settings have been applied.

-

4956: Windows Firewall has changed the active profile.

-

4957: Windows Firewall did not apply the following rule.

-

4958: Windows Firewall did not apply the following rule because the rule referred to items not configured on this computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Changes to firewall rules are important for understanding the security state of the computer and how well it is protected against network attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Policy Change\Audit MPSSVC Rule-Level Policy Change

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 5.5
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.7.5 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Other Policy Change Events' is set to include 'Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory contains events about EFS Data Recovery Agent policy changes, changes in Windows Filtering Platform filter, status on Security policy settings updates for local Group Policy settings, Central Access Policy changes, and detailed troubleshooting events for Cryptographic Next Generation (CNG) operations.

-

5063: A cryptographic provider operation was attempted.

-

5064: A cryptographic context operation was attempted.

-

5065: A cryptographic context modification was attempted.

-

5066: A cryptographic function operation was attempted.

-

5067: A cryptographic function modification was attempted.

-

5068: A cryptographic function provider operation was attempted.

-

5069: A cryptographic function property operation was attempted.

-

5070: A cryptographic function property modification was attempted.

-

6145: One or more errors occurred while processing security policy in the group policy objects.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Failure

This setting can help detect errors in applied Security settings which came from Group Policy, and failure events related to Cryptographic Next Generation (CNG) functions.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Policy Change\Audit Other Policy Change Events

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 5.5
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'failure' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.8.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Sensitive Privilege Use' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports when a user account or service uses a sensitive privilege. A sensitive privilege includes the following user rights:

- Act as part of the operating system
- Back up files and directories
- Create a token object
- Debug programs
- Enable computer and user accounts to be trusted for delegation
- Generate security audits
- Impersonate a client after authentication
- Load and unload device drivers
- Manage auditing and security log
- Modify firmware environment values
- Replace a process-level token
- Restore files and directories
- Take ownership of files or other objects

Auditing this subcategory will create a high volume of events. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4672: Special privileges assigned to new logon.
- 4673: A privileged service was called.
- 4674: An operation was attempted on a privileged object.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Privilege Use\Audit Sensitive Privilege Use

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.9.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit IPsec Driver' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports on the activities of the Internet Protocol security (IPsec) driver. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4960: IPsec dropped an inbound packet that failed an integrity check. If this problem persists, it could indicate a network issue or that packets are being modified in transit to this computer. Verify that the packets sent from the remote computer are the same as those received by this computer. This error might also indicate interoperability problems with other IPsec implementations.
- 4961: IPsec dropped an inbound packet that failed a replay check. If this problem persists, it could indicate a replay attack against this computer.
- 4962: IPsec dropped an inbound packet that failed a replay check. The inbound packet had too low a sequence number to ensure it was not a replay.
- 4963: IPsec dropped an inbound clear text packet that should have been secured. This is usually due to the remote computer changing its IPsec policy without informing this computer. This could also be a spoofing attack attempt.
- 4965: IPsec received a packet from a remote computer with an incorrect Security Parameter Index (SPI). This is usually caused by malfunctioning hardware that is corrupting packets. If these errors persist, verify that the packets sent from the remote computer are the same as those received by this computer. This error may also indicate interoperability problems with other IPsec implementations. In that case, if connectivity is not impeded, then these events can be ignored.
- 5478: IPsec Services has started successfully.
- 5479: IPsec Services has been shut down successfully. The shutdown of IPsec Services can put the computer at greater risk of network attack or expose the computer to potential security risks.
- 5480: IPsec Services failed to get the complete list of network interfaces on the computer. This poses a potential security risk because some of the network interfaces may not get the protection provided by the applied IPsec filters. Use the IP Security Monitor snap-in to diagnose the problem.
- 5483: IPsec Services failed to initialize RPC server. IPsec Services could not be started.
- 5484: IPsec Services has experienced a critical failure and has been shut down. The shutdown of IPsec Services can put the computer at greater risk of network attack or expose the computer to potential security risks.
- 5485: IPsec Services failed to process some IPsec filters on a plug-and-play event for network interfaces. This poses a potential security risk because some of the network interfaces may not get the protection provided by the applied IPsec filters. Use the IP Security Monitor snap-in to diagnose the problem.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\System\Audit IPsec Driver

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
17.9.4 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Security System Extension' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports the loading of extension code such as authentication packages by the security subsystem. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4610: An authentication package has been loaded by the Local Security Authority.
- 4611: A trusted logon process has been registered with the Local Security Authority.
- 4614: A notification package has been loaded by the Security Account Manager.
- 4622: A security package has been loaded by the Local Security Authority.
- 4697: A service was installed in the system.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\System\Audit Security System Extension

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'no auditing'
18.1.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent enabling lock screen camera' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Disables the lock screen camera toggle switch in PC Settings and prevents a camera from being invoked on the lock screen.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Disabling the lock screen camera extends the protection afforded by the lock screen to camera features.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization\Prevent enabling lock screen camera

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ControlPanelDisplay.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If you enable this setting, users will no longer be able to enable or disable lock screen camera access in PC Settings, and the camera cannot be invoked on the lock screen.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.1.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent enabling lock screen slide show' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Disables the lock screen slide show settings in PC Settings and prevents a slide show from playing on the lock screen.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Disabling the lock screen slide show extends the protection afforded by the lock screen to slide show contents.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization\Prevent enabling lock screen slide show

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ControlPanelDisplay.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If you enable this setting, users will no longer be able to modify slide show settings in PC Settings, and no slide show will ever start.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.1.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Allow users to enable online speech recognition services' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy enables the automatic learning component of input personalization that includes speech, inking, and typing. Automatic learning enables the collection of speech and handwriting patterns, typing history, contacts, and recent calendar information. It is required for the use of Cortana. Some of this collected information may be stored on the user's OneDrive, in the case of inking and typing; some of the information will be uploaded to Microsoft to personalize speech.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If this setting is Enabled sensitive information could be stored in the cloud or sent to Microsoft.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Regional and Language Options\Allow users to enable online speech recognition services

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Globalization.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow input personalization

, but it was renamed to

Allow users to enable online speech recognition services

starting with the Windows 10 R1809 & Server 2019 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Automatic learning of speech, inking, and typing stops and users cannot change its value via PC Settings.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.1.3 (L2) Ensure 'Allow Online Tips' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures the retrieval of online tips and help for the Settings app.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Allow Online Tips

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ControlPanel.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Settings will not contact Microsoft content services to retrieve tips and help content.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.4.1 (L1) Ensure 'Apply UAC restrictions to local accounts on network logons' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting controls whether local accounts can be used for remote administration via network logon (e.g., NET USE, connecting to C$, etc.). Local accounts are at high risk for credential theft when the same account and password is configured on multiple systems. Enabling this policy significantly reduces that risk.

Enabled: Applies UAC token-filtering to local accounts on network logons. Membership in powerful group such as Administrators is disabled and powerful privileges are removed from the resulting access token. This configures the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy registry value to 0 This is the default behavior for Windows.

Disabled: Allows local accounts to have full administrative rights when authenticating via network logon, by configuring the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy registry value to 1

For more information about local accounts and credential theft, review the '

Mitigating Pass-the-Hash (PtH) Attacks and Other Credential Theft Techniques

' documents.

For more information about LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 951016:

Description of User Account Control and remote restrictions in Windows Vista

.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Local accounts are at high risk for credential theft when the same account and password is configured on multiple systems. Ensuring this policy is Enabled significantly reduces that risk.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\Apply UAC restrictions to local accounts on network logons

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(9)
800-53R5 AC-2(9)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(c)
CSCV7 4.3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.5
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
18.4.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure SMB v1 client driver' is set to 'Enabled: Disable driver (recommended)'
-
Info
This setting configures the start type for the Server Message Block version 1 (SMBv1) client driver service ( MRxSmb10 ), which is recommended to be disabled.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Disable driver (recommended)

Note: Do not,

under any circumstances

, configure this overall setting as Disabled as doing so will delete the underlying registry entry altogether, which will cause serious problems.

Since September 2016, Microsoft has strongly encouraged that SMBv1 be disabled and no longer used on modern networks, as it is a 30 year old design that is much more vulnerable to attacks then much newer designs such as SMBv2 and SMBv3.

More information on this can be found at the following links:

Stop using SMB1 | Storage at Microsoft

Disable SMB v1 in Managed Environments with Group Policy - 'Stay Safe' Cyber Security Blog

Disabling SMBv1 through Group Policy - Microsoft Security Guidance blog
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Disable driver (recommended) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\Configure SMB v1 client driver

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

.

Impact:

Some legacy OSes (e.g. Windows XP, Server 2003 or older), applications and appliances may no longer be able to communicate with the system once SMBv1 is disabled. We recommend careful testing be performed to determine the impact prior to configuring this as a widespread control, and where possible, remediate any incompatibilities found with the vendor of the incompatible system. Microsoft is also maintaining a thorough (although not comprehensive) list of known SMBv1 incompatibilities at this link:

SMB1 Product Clearinghouse | Storage at Microsoft
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV7 14.3
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.4.3 (L1) Ensure 'Configure SMB v1 server' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting configures the server-side processing of the Server Message Block version 1 (SMBv1) protocol.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Since September 2016, Microsoft has strongly encouraged that SMBv1 be disabled and no longer used on modern networks, as it is a 30 year old design that is much more vulnerable to attacks then much newer designs such as SMBv2 and SMBv3.

More information on this can be found at the following links:

Stop using SMB1 | Storage at Microsoft

Disable SMB v1 in Managed Environments with Group Policy - 'Stay Safe' Cyber Security Blog

Disabling SMBv1 through Group Policy - Microsoft Security Guidance blog
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\Configure SMB v1 server

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

.

Impact:

Some legacy OSes (e.g. Windows XP, Server 2003 or older), applications and appliances may no longer be able to communicate with the system once SMBv1 is disabled. We recommend careful testing be performed to determine the impact prior to configuring this as a widespread control, and where possible, remediate any incompatibilities found with the vendor of the incompatible system. Microsoft is also maintaining a thorough (although not comprehensive) list of known SMBv1 incompatibilities at this link:

SMB1 Product Clearinghouse | Storage at Microsoft
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV7 14.3
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.4.4 (L1) Ensure 'Enable Certificate Padding' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures whether the

WinVerifyTrust

function performs strict Windows Authenticode signature verification for Portable Executable files (PE files). If enabled, PE files will be considered 'unsigned' if Windows identifies content in them that does not conform to the Authenticode specification.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the

WinVerifyTrust

function handles Windows Authenticode signature verification for portable executable (PE) files. For more information on this vulnerability, visit

CVE-2013-3900 - Security Update Guide - Microsoft - WinVerifyTrust Signature Validation Vulnerability

.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\Enable Certificate Padding

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

.

Impact:

Microsoft recommends that installers are built to only extract content from validated portions of signed files. Some installers do not follow this guidance and therefore may be negatively impacted by this setting.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - default:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 1


-------------------------
FAILED - 32-bit subsystem on 64-bit OS:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 1
18.4.5 (L1) Ensure 'Enable Structured Exception Handling Overwrite Protection (SEHOP)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Windows includes support for Structured Exception Handling Overwrite Protection (SEHOP). We recommend enabling this feature to improve the security profile of the computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This feature is designed to block exploits that use the Structured Exception Handler (SEH) overwrite technique. This protection mechanism is provided at run-time. Therefore, it helps protect applications regardless of whether they have been compiled with the latest improvements, such as the /SAFESEH option.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\Enable Structured Exception Handling Overwrite Protection (SEHOP)

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

.

More information is available at

MSKB 956607: How to enable Structured Exception Handling Overwrite Protection (SEHOP) in Windows operating systems

Impact:

After you enable SEHOP, existing versions of Cygwin, Skype, and Armadillo-protected applications may not work correctly.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.4.6 (L1) Ensure 'NetBT NodeType configuration' is set to 'Enabled: P-node (recommended)'
-
Info
This setting determines which method NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) uses to register and resolve names. The available methods are:

- The B-node (broadcast) method only uses broadcasts.
- The P-node (point-to-point) method only uses name queries to a name server (WINS).
- The M-node (mixed) method broadcasts first, then queries a name server (WINS) if broadcast failed.
- The H-node (hybrid) method queries a name server (WINS) first, then broadcasts if the query failed.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: P-node (recommended) (point-to-point).

Note: Resolution through LMHOSTS or DNS follows these methods. If the NodeType registry value is present, it overrides any DhcpNodeType registry value. If neither NodeType nor DhcpNodeType is present, the computer uses B-node (broadcast) if there are no WINS servers configured for the network, or H-node (hybrid) if there is at least one WINS server configured.

In order to help mitigate the risk of NetBIOS Name Service (NBT-NS) poisoning attacks, setting the node type to P-node (point-to-point) will prevent the system from sending out NetBIOS broadcasts.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: P-node (recommended) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\NetBT NodeType configuration

Note: This change does not take effect until the computer has been restarted.

Note #2: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

. Please note that this setting is only available in the

Security baseline (FINAL) for Windows 10 v1903 and Windows Server v1903

(or newer) release of SecGuide.admx/adml so if you previously downloaded this template, you may need to update it from a newer Microsoft baseline to get this new

NetBT NodeType configuration

setting.

Impact:

NetBIOS name resolution queries will require a defined and available WINS server for external NetBIOS name resolution. If a WINS server is not defined or not reachable, and the desired hostname is not defined in the local cache, local LMHOSTS or HOSTS files, NetBIOS name resolution will fail.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.4.7 (L1) Ensure 'WDigest Authentication' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
When WDigest authentication is enabled, Lsass.exe retains a copy of the user's plaintext password in memory, where it can be at risk of theft. If this setting is not configured, WDigest authentication is disabled in Windows 8.1 and in Windows Server 2012 R2; it is enabled by default in earlier versions of Windows and Windows Server.

For more information about local accounts and credential theft, review the '

Mitigating Pass-the-Hash (PtH) Attacks and Other Credential Theft Techniques

' documents.

For more information about UseLogonCredential see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 2871997:

Microsoft Security Advisory Update to improve credentials protection and management May 13, 2014

.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Preventing the plaintext storage of credentials in memory may reduce opportunity for credential theft.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\WDigest Authentication (disabling may require KB2871997)

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

.

Impact:

None - this is also the default configuration for Windows 8.1 or newer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.16
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-28
800-53 SC-28(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-28
800-53R5 SC-28(1)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(b)
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 3.11
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.DS-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iv)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(ii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-28
ITSG-33 SC-28a.
ITSG-33 SC-28(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 3.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.3.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 28.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.2 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (DisableIPSourceRouting IPv6) IP source routing protection level' is set to 'Enabled: Highest protection, source routing is completely disabled'
-
Info
IP source routing is a mechanism that allows the sender to determine the IP route that a datagram should follow through the network.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Highest protection, source routing is completely disabled

An attacker could use source routed packets to obscure their identity and location. Source routing allows a computer that sends a packet to specify the route that the packet takes.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Highest protection, source routing is completely disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (DisableIPSourceRouting IPv6) IP source routing protection level

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

All incoming source routed packets will be dropped.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7(12)
800-53R5 SC-7(12)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7(12)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM38
NIAV2 SS13d
NIAV2 SS26
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.3 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (DisableIPSourceRouting) IP source routing protection level' is set to 'Enabled: Highest protection, source routing is completely disabled'
-
Info
IP source routing is a mechanism that allows the sender to determine the IP route that a datagram should take through the network. It is recommended to configure this setting to Not Defined for enterprise environments and to Highest Protection for high security environments to completely disable source routing.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Highest protection, source routing is completely disabled

An attacker could use source routed packets to obscure their identity and location. Source routing allows a computer that sends a packet to specify the route that the packet takes.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Highest protection, source routing is completely disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (DisableIPSourceRouting) IP source routing protection level

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

All incoming source routed packets will be dropped.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7(12)
800-53R5 SC-7(12)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7(12)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM38
NIAV2 SS13d
NIAV2 SS26
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.4 (L2) Ensure 'MSS: (DisableSavePassword) Prevent the dial-up password from being saved' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
When you dial a phonebook or VPN entry in Dial-Up Networking, you can use the 'Save Password' option so that your Dial-Up Networking password is cached and you will not need to enter it on successive dial attempts. For security, administrators may want to prevent users from caching passwords.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

An attacker who steals a mobile user's computer could automatically connect to the organization's network if the Save This Password check box is selected for the dial-up or VPN networking entry used to connect to your organization's network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS:(DisableSavePassword) Prevent the dial-up password from being saved

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

Users will not be able to automatically store their logon credentials for dial-up and VPN connections.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 2A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.5 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (EnableICMPRedirect) Allow ICMP redirects to override OSPF generated routes' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) redirects cause the IPv4 stack to plumb host routes. These routes override the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) generated routes.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This behavior is expected. The problem is that the 10 minute time-out period for the ICMP redirect-plumbed routes temporarily creates a network situation in which traffic will no longer be routed properly for the affected host. Ignoring such ICMP redirects will limit the system's exposure to attacks that will impact its ability to participate on the network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (EnableICMPRedirect) Allow ICMP redirects to override OSPF generated routes

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

When Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) is configured as an autonomous system boundary router (ASBR), it does not correctly import connected interface subnet routes. Instead, this router injects host routes into the OSPF routes. However, the OSPF router cannot be used as an ASBR router, and when connected interface subnet routes are imported into OSPF the result is confusing routing tables with strange routing paths.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV8 4.1
CSCV8 4.8
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.6 (L2) Ensure 'MSS: (KeepAliveTime) How often keep-alive packets are sent in milliseconds' is set to 'Enabled: 300,000 or 5 minutes'
-
Info
This value controls how often TCP attempts to verify that an idle connection is still intact by sending a keep-alive packet. If the remote computer is still reachable, it acknowledges the keep-alive packet.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 300,000 or 5 minutes

An attacker who is able to connect to network applications could establish numerous connections to cause a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 300,000 or 5 minutes :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (KeepAliveTime) How often keep-alive packets are sent in milliseconds

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

Keep-alive packets are not sent by default by Windows. However, some applications may configure the TCP stack flag that requests keep-alive packets. For such configurations, you can lower this value from the default setting of two hours to five minutes to disconnect inactive sessions more quickly.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7(12)
800-53R5 SC-7(12)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7(12)
LEVEL 2A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 AM38
NIAV2 SS13d
NIAV2 SS26
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
[0..300000]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.7 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (NoNameReleaseOnDemand) Allow the computer to ignore NetBIOS name release requests except from WINS servers' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
NetBIOS over TCP/IP is a network protocol that among other things provides a way to easily resolve NetBIOS names that are registered on Windows-based systems to the IP addresses that are configured on those systems. This setting determines whether the computer releases its NetBIOS name when it receives a name-release request.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

The NetBT protocol is designed not to use authentication, and is therefore vulnerable to spoofing. Spoofing makes a transmission appear to come from a user other than the user who performed the action. A malicious user could exploit the unauthenticated nature of the protocol to send a name-conflict datagram to a target computer, which would cause the computer to relinquish its name and not respond to queries.

An attacker could send a request over the network and query a computer to release its NetBIOS name. As with any change that could affect applications, it is recommended that you test this change in a non-production environment before you change the production environment.

The result of such an attack could be to cause intermittent connectivity issues on the target computer, or even to prevent the use of Network Neighborhood, domain logons, the NET SEND command, or additional NetBIOS name resolution.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (NoNameReleaseOnDemand) Allow the computer to ignore NetBIOS name release requests except from WINS servers

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.16
800-171 3.1.17
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.01.16
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 AC-18
800-53 AC-18(1)
800-53 AC-18(3)
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53R5 AC-18
800-53R5 AC-18(1)
800-53R5 AC-18(3)
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.2
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ITSG-33 AC-18
ITSG-33 AC-18(1)
ITSG-33 AC-18(3)
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NIAV2 NS33
NIAV2 NS34
NIAV2 NS38
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.8 (L2) Ensure 'MSS: (PerformRouterDiscovery) Allow IRDP to detect and configure Default Gateway addresses' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting is used to enable or disable the Internet Router Discovery Protocol (IRDP), which allows the system to detect and configure default gateway addresses automatically as described in RFC 1256 on a per-interface basis.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

An attacker who has gained control of a computer on the same network segment could configure a computer on the network to impersonate a router. Other computers with IRDP enabled would then attempt to route their traffic through the already compromised computer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (PerformRouterDiscovery) Allow IRDP to detect and configure Default Gateway addresses

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

Windows will not automatically detect and configure default gateway addresses on the computer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.9 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (SafeDllSearchMode) Enable Safe DLL search mode' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
The DLL search order can be configured to search for DLLs that are requested by running processes in one of two ways:

- Search folders specified in the system path first, and then search the current working folder.
- Search current working folder first, and then search the folders specified in the system path.

When enabled, the registry value is set to 1 With a setting of 1 the system first searches the folders that are specified in the system path and then searches the current working folder. When disabled the registry value is set to 0 and the system first searches the current working folder and then searches the folders that are specified in the system path.

Applications will be forced to search for DLLs in the system path first. For applications that require unique versions of these DLLs that are included with the application, this entry could cause performance or stability problems.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: More information on how Safe DLL search mode works is available at this link:

Dynamic-Link Library Search Order - Windows applications | Microsoft Docs

If a user unknowingly executes hostile code that was packaged with additional files that include modified versions of system DLLs, the hostile code could load its own versions of those DLLs and potentially increase the type and degree of damage the code can render.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (SafeDllSearchMode) Enable Safe DLL search mode

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.10 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (ScreenSaverGracePeriod) The time in seconds before the screen saver grace period expires' is set to 'Enabled: 5 or fewer seconds'
-
Info
Windows includes a grace period between when the screen saver is launched and when the console is actually locked automatically when screen saver locking is enabled.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 5 or fewer seconds

The default grace period that is allowed for user movement before the screen saver lock takes effect is five seconds. If you leave the default grace period configuration, your computer is vulnerable to a potential attack from someone who could approach the console and attempt to log on to the computer before the lock takes effect. An entry to the registry can be made to adjust the length of the grace period.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 5 or fewer seconds :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (ScreenSaverGracePeriod) The time in seconds before the screen saver grace period expires

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

Users will have to enter their passwords to resume their console sessions as soon as the grace period ends after screen saver activation.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.10
800-171 3.1.11
800-171R3 03.01.01h.
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-171R3 03.01.11
800-53 AC-2(5)
800-53 AC-11
800-53 AC-11(1)
800-53 AC-12
800-53R5 AC-2(5)
800-53R5 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11(1)
800-53R5 AC-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-2(5)
ITSG-33 AC-11
ITSG-33 AC-11(1)
ITSG-33 AC-12
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 NS49
NIAV2 SS14e
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
TBA-FIISB 36.2.1
TBA-FIISB 37.1.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[0..5]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.11 (L2) Ensure 'MSS: (TcpMaxDataRetransmissions IPv6) How many times unacknowledged data is retransmitted' is set to 'Enabled: 3'
-
Info
This setting controls the number of times that TCP retransmits an individual data segment (non-connect segment) before the connection is aborted. The retransmission time-out is doubled with each successive retransmission on a connection. It is reset when responses resume. The base time-out value is dynamically determined by the measured round-trip time on the connection.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 3

A malicious user could exhaust a target computer's resources if it never sent any acknowledgment messages for data that was transmitted by the target computer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 3 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS:(TcpMaxDataRetransmissions IPv6) How many times unacknowledged data is retransmitted

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

TCP starts a retransmission timer when each outbound segment is passed to the IP. If no acknowledgment is received for the data in a given segment before the timer expires, then the segment is retransmitted up to three times.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.16
800-171 3.1.17
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.01.16
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 AC-18
800-53 AC-18(1)
800-53 AC-18(3)
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53R5 AC-18
800-53R5 AC-18(1)
800-53R5 AC-18(3)
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
CSCV7 11.1
CSCV8 4.2
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ITSG-33 AC-18
ITSG-33 AC-18(1)
ITSG-33 AC-18(3)
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
LEVEL 2A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NIAV2 NS33
NIAV2 NS34
NIAV2 NS38
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
3
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.12 (L2) Ensure 'MSS: (TcpMaxDataRetransmissions) How many times unacknowledged data is retransmitted' is set to 'Enabled: 3'
-
Info
This setting controls the number of times that TCP retransmits an individual data segment (non-connect segment) before the connection is aborted. The retransmission time-out is doubled with each successive retransmission on a connection. It is reset when responses resume. The base time-out value is dynamically determined by the measured round-trip time on the connection.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 3

A malicious user could exhaust a target computer's resources if it never sent any acknowledgment messages for data that was transmitted by the target computer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 3 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS:(TcpMaxDataRetransmissions) How many times unacknowledged data is retransmitted

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

TCP starts a retransmission timer when each outbound segment is passed to the IP. If no acknowledgment is received for the data in a given segment before the timer expires, then the segment is retransmitted up to three times.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.16
800-171 3.1.17
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.01.16
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 AC-18
800-53 AC-18(1)
800-53 AC-18(3)
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53R5 AC-18
800-53R5 AC-18(1)
800-53R5 AC-18(3)
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
CSCV7 11.1
CSCV8 4.2
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ITSG-33 AC-18
ITSG-33 AC-18(1)
ITSG-33 AC-18(3)
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
LEVEL 2A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NIAV2 NS33
NIAV2 NS34
NIAV2 NS38
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
3
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.5.13 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (WarningLevel) Percentage threshold for the security event log at which the system will generate a warning' is set to 'Enabled: 90% or less'
-
Info
This setting can generate a security audit in the Security event log when the log reaches a user-defined threshold.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 90% or less

Note: If log settings are configured to Overwrite events as needed or Overwrite events older than x days, this event will not be generated.

If the Security log reaches 90 percent of its capacity and the computer has not been configured to overwrite events as needed, more recent events will not be written to the log. If the log reaches its capacity and the computer has been configured to shut down when it can no longer record events to the Security log, the computer will shut down and will no longer be available to provide network services.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 90% or less :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (WarningLevel) Percentage threshold for the security event log at which the system will generate a warning

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

An audit event will be generated when the Security log reaches the 90% percent full threshold (or whatever lower value may be set) unless the log is configured to overwrite events as needed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..90]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.4.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure multicast DNS (mDNS) protocol' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines if the DNS client will perform name resolution over Multicast DNS (mDNS). mDNS performs local network name and service discoveries without the need for central DNS.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

An attacker can listen on a network over UDP port 5353 and respond to them, tricking the host into thinking that it knows the location of the requested system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\DNS Client\Configure multicast DNS (mDNS) protocol

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DnsClient.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

In the event DNS is unavailable a system will be unable to request it from other systems on the same subnet.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.4.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure NetBIOS settings' is set to 'Enabled: Disable NetBIOS name resolution on public networks'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies if the Domain Name System (DNS) client will perform name resolution over Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS). NetBIOS is a legacy name resolution method for internal Microsoft networking that predates the use of DNS for that purpose (pre-Active Directory). Some legacy applications still require the use of NetBIOS for full functionality.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Disable NetBIOS name resolution on public networks Configuring this setting to Enabled: Disable NetBIOS name resolution also conforms to the benchmark.

NetBIOS does not perform authentication and can allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service by sending spoofed Name Conflicts or Name Release datagrams. This is also known as 'NetBIOS Name Server Protocol Spoofing'. Preventing the use of NetBIOS on public networks reduces the attack surface.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Disable NetBIOS name resolution on public networks :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\DNS Client\Configure NetBIOS settings

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DnsClient.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.4.3 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off default IPv6 DNS Servers' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the DNS client will use the default IPv6 DNS server addresses provided by Windows.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Since the vast majority of private enterprise managed networks have no need to utilize IPv6 (because they have access to private IPv4 addressing), disabling the use of IPv6 DNS server addresses removes a possible attack surface that is also harder to monitor the traffic on.

It is not recommended to use DNS servers that are controlled by an external entity without input from the organization's IT department.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\DNS Client\Turn off default IPv6 DNS Servers

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DnsClient.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Default IPv6 DNS server addresses will not be utilized by Windows.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.4.4 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off multicast name resolution' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution (LLMNR) is a secondary name resolution protocol. With LLMNR, queries are sent using multicast over a local network link on a single subnet from a client computer to another client computer on the same subnet that also has LLMNR enabled. LLMNR does not require a DNS server or DNS client configuration and provides name resolution in scenarios in which conventional DNS name resolution is not possible.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

An attacker can listen on a network for these LLMNR (UDP/5355) or NBT-NS (UDP/137) broadcasts and respond to them, tricking the host into thinking that it knows the location of the requested system.

Note: To completely mitigate local name resolution poisoning, in addition to this setting, the properties of each installed NIC should also be set to Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP (on the WINS tab in the NIC properties). Unfortunately, there is no global setting to achieve this that automatically applies to all NICs - it is a per-NIC setting that varies with different NIC hardware installations.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\DNS Client\Turn off multicast name resolution

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DnsClient.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

In the event DNS is unavailable a system will be unable to request it from other systems on the same subnet.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.5.1 (L2) Ensure 'Enable Font Providers' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Windows is allowed to download fonts and font catalog data from an online font provider.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In an enterprise managed environment the IT department should be managing the changes to the system configuration, to ensure all changes are tested and approved.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Fonts\Enable Font Providers

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GroupPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows will not connect to an online font provider and will only enumerate locally-installed fonts.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 SR-11
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 18.4
CSCV8 16.5
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.7.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit client does not support encryption' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the Server Message Block (SMB) server will log events when the SMB client doesn't support encryption.

Enabling this will create event log entries in Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\SMBClient\Audit with Event ID 31998

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Organizations should be aware of all unencrypted SMB traffic in their environment. Older SMB protocols that do not use encryption can make an environment susceptible to many types of attacks, including SMB interception attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Server\Audit client does not support encryption

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

All SMB traffic that is unencrypted will be logged as an event.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.7.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit client does not support signing' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the Server Message Block (SMB) server will log events when the SMB client doesn't support signing.

Enabling this will create event log entries in Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\SMBClient\Audit with Event ID 31999

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Organizations should be aware of all unsigned SMB traffic in their environment. Older SMB protocols that do not use signing can make an environment susceptible to many types of attacks, including SMB interception attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Server\Audit client does not support signing

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

All SMB traffic that is unsigned will be logged as an event.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.7.3 (L1) Ensure 'Audit insecure guest logon' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy determines whether the Server Message Block (SMB) server will log events when the client is logged on as guest account.

Enabling this will create event log entries in Applications and Service Logs\Microsoft\Windows\SMBServer\Security with Event IDs 3023 31017 31018 and 31022

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Insecure guest logons can be used by file servers to allow unauthenticated access to shared folders.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Server\Audit insecure guest logon

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

All insecure guest logons will be logged as an event.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.7.4 (L1) Ensure 'Enable authentication rate limiter' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy settings configures the Server Message Block (SMB) server authentication rate limiter. The authentication rate limiter is a feature of SMB that is designed to address brute force attacks.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Authentication rate limiter considerably reduces the risk of brute force attacks by implementing a 2-second delay (default) between each failed NTLM or PKU2U-based authentication attempt.

According to Microsoft

, if an attacker sends 300 brute force attempts per second from a client for 5 minutes which equals 90,000 passwords, the same number of attempts would now take 50 hours or more.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Server\Enable authentication rate limiter

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.2
800-171 3.13.5
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7(20)
800-53R5 SC-7(20)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.3
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.7.5 (L1) Ensure 'Enable remote mailslots' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy settings controls whether the SMB server will use remote mailslots over the computer browser service. The remote mailslots protocol is an old, simple, unreliable, and insecure inter-process communication method.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Remote mailslots is a legacy protocol that uses SMBv1 to function. This protocol is linked to known vulnerabilities, such as denial of service, buffer overflow, and remote code execution attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Server\Enable remote mailslots

Note: A reboot is required after the setting is applied.

Note #2: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If the remote mailslots feature was in operation, it will no longer function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.7.6 (L1) Ensure 'Mandate the minimum version of SMB' is set to 'Enabled: 3.1.1'
-
Info
This policy settings controls the minimum version of Server Message Block (SMB) protocol that can be used on the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 3.1.1

Note: This group policy setting does not prevent the use of SMBv1 if it is installed and enabled on the system. If the following recommendations are configured as prescribed in this benchmark, SMBv1 will be disabled on the system:

Configure SMB v1 client driver

and

Configure SMB v1 server

.

The newer, more modern version of SMB (v3) is supported and available on all currently supported Microsoft Windows OSes. SMBv1 is no longer enabled by default due to its security risks, and although SMBv2 is more robust than v1, it does not support encryption like its successor.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 3.1.1 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Server\Mandate the minimum version of SMB

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If older legacy (unsupported) Windows OSes that do not support SMB v3.1.1 are present in the environment, this setting may affect backward compatibility with them. For example, Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 and older. This setting may also prevent third-party clients that do not support SMB v3.1.1 from connecting.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
785
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.7.7 (L1) Ensure 'Set authentication rate limiter delay (milliseconds)' is set to 'Enabled: 2000' or more
-
Info
This policy settings configures the SMB server invalid authentication delay value in milliseconds.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 2000 or more.

Authentication rate limiter considerably reduces the risk of brute force attacks by implementing a 2-second delay (default) between each failed NTLM or PKU2U-based authentication attempt.

According to Microsoft

, if an attacker sends 300 brute force attempts per second from a client for 5 minutes which equals 90,000 passwords, the same number of attempts would now take 50 hours or more.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 2000 or more:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Server\Set authentication rate limiter delay (milliseconds)

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - 2,000 milliseconds (2 seconds) is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.2
800-171 3.13.5
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7(20)
800-53R5 SC-7(20)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.3
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[2000..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.8.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit insecure guest logon' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy determines whether the Server Message Block (SMB) client will log events when the client is logged on as guest account.

Enabling this will create event log entries in Applications and Service Logs\Microsoft\Windows\SMBClient\Security with Event IDs 3023 31017 31018 and 31022

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Insecure guest logons can be used by file servers to allow unauthenticated access to shared folders.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation\Audit insecure guest logon

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanWorkstation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

All insecure guest logons will be logged as an event.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.8.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit server does not support encryption' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the Server Message Block (SMB) client will log events when the SMB server doesn't support encryption.

Enabling this will create event log entries in Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\SMBServer\Audit with Event ID 3021

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Organizations should be aware of all unencrypted SMB traffic in their environment. Older SMB protocols that do not use encryption can make an environment susceptible to many types of attacks, including SMB interception attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation\Audit server does not support encryption

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanWorkstation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

All SMB traffic that is unencrypted will be logged as an event.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.8.3 (L1) Ensure 'Audit server does not support signing' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the Server Message Block (SMB) client will log events when the SMB server doesn't support signing.

Enabling this will create event log entries in Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\SMBServer\Audit with Event ID 3022

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Organizations should be aware of all unsigned SMB traffic in their environment. Older SMB protocols that do not use signing can make an environment susceptible to many types of attacks, including SMB interception attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation\Audit server does not support signing

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanWorkstation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

All SMB traffic that is unsigned will be logged as an event.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.8.4 (L1) Ensure 'Enable insecure guest logons' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines if the SMB client will allow insecure guest logons to an SMB server.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Insecure guest logons are used by file servers to allow unauthenticated access to shared folders.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation\Enable insecure guest logons

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanWorkstation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The SMB client will reject insecure guest logons. This was not originally the default behavior in older versions of Windows, but Microsoft changed the default behavior starting with Windows 10 R1709:

Guest access in SMB2 disabled by default in Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.8.5 (L1) Ensure 'Enable remote mailslots' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy settings controls whether the SMB client will use remote mailslots over Multiple UNC Provider (MUP). The remote mailslots protocol is an old, simple, unreliable, and insecure inter-process communication method.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Remote mailslots is a legacy protocol that uses SMBv1 to function. This protocol is linked to known vulnerabilities, such as denial of service, buffer overflow, and remote code execution attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation\Enable remote mailslots

Note: A reboot is required after the setting is applied.

Note #2: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanWorkstation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If the remote mailslots feature was in operation, it will no longer function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.8.6 (L1) Ensure 'Mandate the minimum version of SMB' is set to 'Enabled: 3.1.1'
-
Info
This policy settings controls the minimum version of Server Message Block (SMB) protocol that can be used on the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 3.1.1

Note: This group policy setting does not prevent the use of SMBv1 if it is installed and enabled on the system. If the following recommendations are configured as prescribed in this benchmark, SMBv1 will be disabled on the system:

Configure SMB v1 client driver

and

Configure SMB v1 server

.

The newer, more modern version of SMB (v3) is supported and available on all currently supported Microsoft Windows OSes. SMBv1 is no longer enabled by default due to its security risks, and although SMBv2 is more robust than v1, it does not support encryption like its successor.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 3.1.1 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation\Mandate the minimum version of SMB

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanWorkstation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If older legacy (unsupported) Windows OSes that do not support SMB v3.1.1 are present in the environment, this setting may affect backward compatibility with them. For example, Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 and older. This setting may also affect connecting to third-party devices and appliances that do not support SMB v3.1.1.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
785
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.8.7 (L1) Ensure 'Require Encryption' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the SMB client will require encryption.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Warning: The SMB server must support and have SMB encryption enabled (requires SMB v3.0 or later).

The newer, more modern version of SMB (v3) is supported and available on all currently supported Microsoft Windows OSes. SMBv1 is no longer enabled by default due to its security risks, and although SMBv2 is more robust than v1, it does not support encryption like its successor.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Lanman Workstation\Require Encryption

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LanmanWorkstation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If older legacy (unsupported) Windows OSes that do not support encryption are present in the environment, this setting may affect backward compatibility with them. For example, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 and older. This setting may also affect connecting to third-party devices and appliances that do not support SMB v3.0.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 14.4
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.9.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn on Mapper I/O (LLTDIO) driver' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting changes the operational behavior of the Mapper I/O network protocol driver.

LLTDIO allows a computer to discover the topology of a network it's connected to. It also allows a computer to initiate Quality-of-Service requests such as bandwidth estimation and network health analysis.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

To help protect from potentially discovering and connecting to unauthorized devices, this setting should be disabled to prevent responding to network traffic for network topology discovery.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Link-Layer Topology Discovery\Turn on Mapper I/O (LLTDIO) driver

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template LinkLayerTopologyDiscovery.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-53 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-6
CSCV7 5.1
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
LEVEL 2A
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - Value for AllowLLTDIOOnDomain:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - AllowLLTDIOOnPublicNet:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - EnableLLTDIO:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - ProhibitLLTDIOOnPrivateNet:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0
18.6.9.2 (L2) Ensure 'Turn on Responder (RSPNDR) driver' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting changes the operational behavior of the Responder network protocol driver.

The Responder allows a computer to participate in Link Layer Topology Discovery requests so that it can be discovered and located on the network. It also allows a computer to participate in Quality-of-Service activities such as bandwidth estimation and network health analysis.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

To help protect from potentially discovering and connecting to unauthorized devices, this setting should be disabled to prevent responding to network traffic for network topology discovery.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Link-Layer Topology Discovery\Turn on Responder (RSPNDR) driver

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template LinkLayerTopologyDiscovery.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-53 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-6
CSCV7 5.1
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
LEVEL 2A
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - AllowRspndrOnPublicNet:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - ProhibitRspndrOnPrivateNet:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - EnableRspndr:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - Value for AllowRspndrOnDomain:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0
18.6.10.2 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Microsoft Peer-to-Peer Networking Services' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
The Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) allows for distributed resolution of a name to an IPv6 address and port number. The protocol operates in the context of

clouds

. A cloud is a set of peer computers that can communicate with each other by using the same IPv6 scope.

Peer-to-Peer protocols allow for applications in the areas of RTC, collaboration, content distribution and distributed processing.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This setting enhances the security of the environment and reduces the overall risk exposure related to peer-to-peer networking.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Microsoft Peer-to-Peer Networking Services\Turn off Microsoft Peer-to-Peer Networking Services

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template P2P-pnrp.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Microsoft Peer-to-Peer Networking Services are turned off in their entirety, and all applications dependent on them will stop working.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.11.2 (L1) Ensure 'Prohibit installation and configuration of Network Bridge on your DNS domain network' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
You can use this procedure to control a user's ability to install and configure a Network Bridge.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

The Network Bridge setting, if enabled, allows users to create a Layer 2 Media Access Control (MAC) bridge, enabling them to connect two or more physical network segments together. A Network Bridge thus allows a computer that has connections to two different networks to share data between those networks.

In an enterprise managed environment, where there is a need to control network traffic to only authorized paths, allowing users to create a Network Bridge increases the risk and attack surface from the bridged network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections\Prohibit installation and configuration of Network Bridge on your DNS domain network

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template NetworkConnections.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users cannot create or configure a Network Bridge.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.16
800-171 3.1.17
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.01.16
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 AC-18
800-53 AC-18(1)
800-53 AC-18(3)
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53R5 AC-18
800-53R5 AC-18(1)
800-53R5 AC-18(3)
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
CSCV7 11.3
CSCV8 4.2
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ITSG-33 AC-18
ITSG-33 AC-18(1)
ITSG-33 AC-18(3)
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NIAV2 NS33
NIAV2 NS34
NIAV2 NS38
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.11.3 (L1) Ensure 'Prohibit use of Internet Connection Sharing on your DNS domain network' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Although this 'legacy' setting traditionally applied to the use of Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in Windows 2000, Windows XP & Server 2003, this setting now freshly applies to the Mobile Hotspot feature in Windows 10 & Server 2016.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Warning: In order for Application Guard to function correctly, ICS must be enabled. If Application Guard is used in the environment, then an exception to this recommendation might be needed. To learn more on how to disable portions of ICS without breaking Application Guard, please visit:

FAQ - Microsoft Defender Application Guard | Microsoft Learn

.

Non-administrators should not be able to turn on the Mobile Hotspot feature and open their Internet connectivity up to nearby mobile devices.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections\Prohibit use of Internet Connection Sharing on your DNS domain network

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template NetworkConnections.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Mobile Hotspot cannot be enabled or configured by Administrators and non-Administrators alike.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.11.4 (L1) Ensure 'Require domain users to elevate when setting a network's location' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether to require domain users to elevate when setting a network's location.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Allowing regular users to set a network location increases the risk and attack surface.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections\Require domain users to elevate when setting a network's location

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template NetworkConnections.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Domain users must elevate when setting a network's location.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(9)
800-53R5 AC-2(9)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(c)
CSCV7 4.3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.5
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.14.1 (L1) Ensure 'Hardened UNC Paths' is set to 'Enabled, with 'Require Mutual Authentication', 'Require Integrity', and 'Require Privacy' set for all NETLOGON and SYSVOL shares'
-
Info
This policy setting configures secure access to UNC paths.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled, with 'Require Mutual Authentication', 'Require Integrity', and 'Require Privacy' set for all NETLOGON and SYSVOL shares

In February 2015, Microsoft released a new control mechanism to mitigate a security risk in Group Policy as part of the

MS15-011

/

MSKB 3000483

security update. This mechanism requires both the installation of the new security update and also the deployment of specific group policy settings to all computers on the domain from Windows Vista / Server 2008 (non-R2) or newer (the associated security patch to enable this feature was not released for Server 2003). A new group policy template ( NetworkProvider.admx/adml ) was also provided with the security update.

Once the new GPO template is in place, the following are the minimum requirements to remediate the Group Policy security risk:

\\*\NETLOGON RequireMutualAuthentication=1, RequireIntegrity=1, RequirePrivacy=1

\\*\SYSVOL RequireMutualAuthentication=1, RequireIntegrity=1, RequirePrivacy=1

Note: A reboot may be required after the setting is applied to a client machine to access the above paths.

Additional guidance on the deployment of this security setting is available from the Microsoft Premier Field Engineering (PFE) Platforms TechNet Blog here:

Guidance on Deployment of MS15-011 and MS15-014

.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled with the following paths configured, at a minimum:

\\*\NETLOGON RequireMutualAuthentication=1, RequireIntegrity=1, RequirePrivacy=1 \\*\SYSVOL RequireMutualAuthentication=1, RequireIntegrity=1, RequirePrivacy=1

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Provider\Hardened UNC Paths

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( NetworkProvider.admx/adml ) is required - it is included with the

MS15-011

/

MSKB 3000483

security update or with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows only allows access to the specified UNC paths after fulfilling additional security requirements.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171R3 03.05.02
800-53 IA-3(1)
800-53R5 IA-3(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ITSG-33 IA-3(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.4.3
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 27.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - NETLOGON:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '[Rr]equire([Mm]utual[Aa]uthentication|[Ii]ntegrity|[Pp]rivacy)=1.*[Rr]equire([Mm]utual[Aa]uthentication|[Ii]ntegrity|[Pp]rivacy)=1.*[Rr]equire([Mm]utual[Aa]uthentication|[Ii]ntegrity|[Pp]rivacy)=1'


-------------------------
FAILED - SYSVOL:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '[Rr]equire([Mm]utual[Aa]uthentication|[Ii]ntegrity|[Pp]rivacy)=1.*[Rr]equire([Mm]utual[Aa]uthentication|[Ii]ntegrity|[Pp]rivacy)=1.*[Rr]equire([Mm]utual[Aa]uthentication|[Ii]ntegrity|[Pp]rivacy)=1'
18.6.19.2.1 (L2) Disable IPv6 (Ensure TCPIP6 Parameter 'DisabledComponents' is set to '0xff (255)')
-
Info
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of protocols that computers use to exchange information over the Internet and over home and business networks. IPv6 allows for many more IP addresses to be assigned than IPv4 did. Older networking, hosts and operating systems may not support IPv6 natively.

The recommended state for this setting is: DisabledComponents - 0xff (255)

Since the vast majority of private enterprise managed networks have no need to utilize IPv6 (because they have access to private IPv4 addressing), disabling IPv6 components removes a possible attack surface that is also harder to monitor the traffic on. As a result, we recommend configuring IPv6 to a Disabled state when it is not needed.

Configuring this recommendation to the CIS suggested state mitigates

CVE-2024-38063

, a TCP/IP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration, set the following Registry value to 0xff (255) (DWORD) :

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TCPIP6\Parameters:DisabledComponents

Note: This change does not take effect until the computer has been restarted.

Note #2: Although Microsoft does not provide an ADMX template to configure this registry value, a custom .ADM template ( Disable-IPv6-Components-KB929852.adm ) is provided in the CIS Benchmark Build Kit to facilitate its configuration. Be aware though that simply turning off the group policy setting in the .ADM template will not 'undo' the change once applied. Instead, the opposite setting must be applied to change the registry value to the opposite state.

Impact:

Connectivity to other systems using IPv6 will no longer operate, and software that depends on IPv6 will cease to function. Examples of Microsoft applications that may use IPv6 include: Remote Assistance, HomeGroup, DirectAccess, Windows Mail.

This registry change is documented in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 929852:

How to disable IPv6 or its components in Windows

.

Note: This registry change does not take effect until the next reboot.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
255
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.20.1 (L2) Ensure 'Configuration of wireless settings using Windows Connect Now' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows the configuration of wireless settings using Windows Connect Now (WCN). The WCN Registrar enables the discovery and configuration of devices over Ethernet (UPnP) over in-band 802.11 Wi-Fi through the Windows Portable Device API (WPD) and via USB Flash drives. Additional options are available to allow discovery and configuration over a specific medium.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This setting enhances the security of the environment and reduces the overall risk exposure related to user configuration of wireless settings. Additionally, according to Microsoft, Windows Connect Now was created as a solution for home networking and small businesses and is not intended for enterprise scenarios.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connect Now\Configuration of wireless settings using Windows Connect Now

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsConnectNow.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

WCN operations are disabled over all media.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 15.4
CSCV7 15.5
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - EnableRegistrars:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - DisableInBand802DOT11Registrar:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - DisableFlashConfigRegistrar:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - DisableUPnPRegistrar:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - DisableWPDRegistrar:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0
18.6.20.2 (L2) Ensure 'Prohibit access of the Windows Connect Now wizards' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting prohibits access to Windows Connect Now (WCN) wizards.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Allowing standard users to access the Windows Connect Now wizard increases the risk and attack surface. Additionally, according to Microsoft, Windows Connect Now was created as a solution for home networking and small businesses and is not intended for enterprise scenarios.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connect Now\Prohibit access of the Windows Connect Now wizards

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsConnectNow.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The WCN wizards are turned off and users have no access to any of the wizard tasks. All the configuration related tasks including 'Set up a wireless router or access point' and 'Add a wireless device' are disabled.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.21.1 (L1) Ensure 'Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain' is set to 'Enabled: 3 = Prevent Wi-Fi when on Ethernet'
-
Info
This policy setting prevents computers from establishing multiple simultaneous connections to either the Internet or to a Windows domain.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 3 = Prevent Wi-Fi when on Ethernet

Preventing bridged network connections can help prevent a user unknowingly allowing traffic to route between internal and external networks, which risks exposure to sensitive internal data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 3 = Prevent Wi-Fi when on Ethernet :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connection Manager\Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WCM.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates. It was updated with a new

Minimize Policy Options

sub-setting starting with the Windows 10 Release 1903 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

While connected to an Ethernet connection, Windows won't allow use of a WLAN (automatically

or

manually) until Ethernet is disconnected. However, if a cellular data connection is available, it will always stay connected for services that require it, but no Internet traffic will be routed over cellular if an Ethernet or WLAN connection is present.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 15.5
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
3
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.21.2 (L1) Ensure 'Prohibit connection to non-domain networks when connected to domain authenticated network' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting prevents computers from connecting to both a domain based network and a non-domain based network at the same time.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

The potential concern is that a user would unknowingly allow network traffic to flow between the insecure public network and the enterprise managed network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connection Manager\Prohibit connection to non-domain networks when connected to domain authenticated network

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WCM.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The computer responds to automatic and manual network connection attempts based on the following circumstances:

Automatic connection attempts

- When the computer is already connected to a domain based network, all automatic connection attempts to non-domain networks are blocked. - When the computer is already connected to a non-domain based network, automatic connection attempts to domain based networks are blocked.

Manual connection attempts

- When the computer is already connected to either a non-domain based network or a domain based network over media other than Ethernet, and a user attempts to create a manual connection to an additional network in violation of this policy setting, the existing network connection is disconnected and the manual connection is allowed. - When the computer is already connected to either a non-domain based network or a domain based network over Ethernet, and a user attempts to create a manual connection to an additional network in violation of this policy setting, the existing Ethernet connection is maintained and the manual connection attempt is blocked.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.5
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7
800-53R5 SC-7
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 12.4
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.6.23.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether users can enable the following WLAN settings: 'Connect to suggested open hotspots,' 'Connect to networks shared by my contacts,' and 'Enable paid services'.

- 'Connect to suggested open hotspots' enables Windows to automatically connect users to open hotspots it knows about by crowdsourcing networks that other people using Windows have connected to.
- 'Connect to networks shared by my contacts' enables Windows to automatically connect to networks that the user's contacts have shared with them, and enables users on this device to share networks with their contacts.
- 'Enable paid services' enables Windows to temporarily connect to open hotspots to determine if paid services are available.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: These features are also known by the name '

Wi-Fi Sense

'.

Automatically connecting to an open hotspot or network can introduce the system to a rogue network with malicious intent.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\WLAN Service\WLAN Settings\Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template wlansvc.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Connect to suggested open hotspots

,

Connect to networks shared by my contacts

, and

Enable paid services

will each be turned off and users on the device will be prevented from enabling them.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 15.5
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Print Spooler to accept client connections' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the Print Spooler service will accept client connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: The Print Spooler service must be restarted for changes to this policy to take effect.

Disabling the ability for the Print Spooler service to accept client connections mitigates remote attacks against the PrintNightmare vulnerability (

CVE-2021-34527

) and other remote Print Spooler attacks. However, this recommendation

does not

mitigate against local attacks on the Print Spooler service.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Allow Print Spooler to accept client connections

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template printing2.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Provided that the Print Spooler service is not disabled, users will continue to be able to print

from their workstation

. However, the workstation's Print Spooler service will not accept client connections or allow users to share printers. Note that all printers that were already shared will continue to be shared.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV8 4.1
CSCV8 4.8
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Redirection Guard' is set to 'Enabled: Redirection Guard Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Redirection Guard is enabled for the print spooler. Redirection Guard can prevent file redirections from being used within the print spooler.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Redirection Guard Enabled

This setting prevents non-administrators from redirecting files within the print spooler process.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Redirection Guard Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Configure Redirection Guard

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.3 (L1) Ensure 'Configure RPC connection settings: Protocol to use for outgoing RPC connections' is set to 'Enabled: RPC over TCP'
-
Info
This policy setting controls which protocol and protocol settings to use for outgoing Remote Procedure Call (RPC) connections to a remote print spooler.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: RPC over TCP

This setting prevents the use of named pipes for RPC connections to the print spooler and forces the use of TCP which is a more secure communication method.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: RPC over TCP :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Configure RPC connection settings: Protocol to use for outgoing RPC connections

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Warning: Many existing print configurations may be using the older named pipes protocol and therefore will cease to function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.4 (L1) Ensure 'Configure RPC connection settings: Use authentication for outgoing RPC connections' is set to 'Enabled: Default'
-
Info
This policy setting controls which protocol and protocol settings to use for outgoing Remote Procedure Call (RPC) connections to a remote print spooler.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Default

This setting can prevent the use of named pipes for RPC connections to the print spooler and forces the use of TCP which is a more secure communication method.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Default :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Configure RPC connection settings: Use authentication for outgoing RPC connections

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Warning: Many existing print configurations may be using the older named pipes protocol and therefore will cease to function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.5 (L1) Ensure 'Configure RPC listener settings: Protocols to allow for incoming RPC connections' is set to 'Enabled: RPC over TCP'
-
Info
This policy setting controls which protocols incoming Remote Procedure Call (RPC) connections to the print spooler are allowed to use.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: RPC over TCP

This setting can prevent the use of named pipes for RPC connections to the print spooler and forces the use of TCP which is a more secure communication method.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: RCP over TCP :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Configure RPC listener settings: Configure protocol options for incoming RPC connections

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Warning: Many existing print configurations may be using the older named pipes protocol and therefore will cease to function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
5
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.6 (L1) Ensure 'Configure RPC listener settings: Authentication protocol to use for incoming RPC connections:' is set to 'Enabled: Negotiate' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting controls which protocols incoming Remote Procedure Call (RPC) connections to the print spooler are allowed to use.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Negotiate or higher.

This setting can prevent the use of named pipes for RPC connections to the print spooler and forces the use of TCP which is a more secure communication method.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Negotiate or higher:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Configure RPC listener settings: Configure protocol options for incoming RPC connections

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Warning: Many existing print configurations may be using the older named pipes protocol and therefore will cease to function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171R3 03.05.02
800-53 IA-3(1)
800-53R5 IA-3(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ITSG-33 IA-3(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.4.3
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 27.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0 || 1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.7 (L1) Ensure 'Configure RPC over TCP port' is set to 'Enabled: 0'
-
Info
This policy setting controls which port is used for RPC over TCP for incoming connections to the print spooler and outgoing connections to remote print spoolers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 0

Using dynamic ports for printing makes it more difficult for an attacker to know which port is being used and therefore which port to attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 0 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Configure RPC over TCP port

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

If your current print environment is configured for a specific TCP port, this setting may require a firewall change (if applicable) for continued printing.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.8 (L1) Ensure 'Configure RPC packet level privacy setting for incoming connections' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls packet level privacy for Remote Procedure Call (RPC) incoming connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

A security bypass vulnerability (

CVE-2021-1678 | Windows Print Spooler Spoofing Vulnerability

) exists in the way the Printer RPC binding handles authentication for the remote Winspool interface. Enabling the RPC packet level privacy setting for incoming connections enforces the server-side to increase the authentication level to minimize this vulnerability.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MS Security Guide\Configure RPC packet level privacy setting for incoming connections

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( SecGuide.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from Microsoft at

this link

.

Impact:

None - this is default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.9 (L2) Ensure 'Configure Windows protected print' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Windows protected print is enabled on the system. Windows protected print uses the modern print platform and Windows protected print mode. Modern print is designed to work only with Mopria-certified printers. Mopria is a collection of printer manufacturers and software vendors that define standards for IPP printing and eSCL scanning.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Windows protected print will not prohibit administrators or users from installing third-party print drivers through an installation package provided by the print device manufacturer.

In September of 2023, Microsoft announced an end of servicing plan for legacy third-party printer drivers. In July of 2025, Microsoft will not publish new printer drivers to Windows Update, and by July 2027 (except for security-related fixes), third-party printer driver updates will no longer be deployed.

Windows protected print also hardens the entire print stack against attacks.

According to Microsoft

, Windows protected print can mitigate over half of past reported security issues for Windows print.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Configure Windows protected print

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Only Mopria-certified print drivers will continue to be deployed via Widows Update.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.9
800-53 CM-11b.
800-53R5 CM-11b.
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
LEVEL 2A
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.10 (L1) Ensure 'Limits print driver installation to Administrators' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether users who aren't Administrators can install print drivers on the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: On August 10, 2021, Microsoft announced a

Point and Print Default Behavior Change

which modifies the default Point and Print driver installation and update behavior to require Administrator privileges. This is documented in

KB5005652-Manage new Point and Print default driver installation behavior (CVE-2021-34481)

.

Restricting the installation of print drives to Administrators can help mitigate the PrintNightmare vulnerability (

CVE-2021-34527

) and other Print Spooler attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Limits print driver installation to Administrators

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.6
800-171 3.14.7
800-171R3 03.14.06
800-53 SI-4
800-53R5 SI-4
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(f)
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF DE.AE-2
CSF DE.AE-3
CSF DE.AE-4
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-5
CSF DE.CM-6
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF DE.DP-2
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.IP-8
CSF RS.AN-1
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF2.0 DE.AE-02
CSF2.0 DE.AE-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-06
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ITSG-33 SI-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.11 (L1) Ensure 'Manage processing of Queue-specific files' is set to 'Enabled: Limit Queue-specific files to Color profiles'
-
Info
This policy setting manages how queue-specific files are processed during printer installation. At printer installation time, a vendor-supplied installation application can specify a set of files, of any type, to be associated with a particular print queue. The files are downloaded to each client that connects to the print server.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Limit Queue-specific files to Color profiles

A Windows Print Spooler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (

CVE-2021-36958

) exists when the Windows Print Spooler service improperly performs privileged file operations. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges and then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Limit Queue-specific files to Color profiles :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Manage processing of Queue-specific files

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.12 (L1) Ensure 'Point and Print Restrictions: When installing drivers for a new connection' is set to 'Enabled: Show warning and elevation prompt'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether computers will show a warning and a security elevation prompt when users create a new printer connection using Point and Print.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Show warning and elevation prompt

Note: On August 10, 2021, Microsoft announced a

Point and Print Default Behavior Change

which modifies the default Point and Print driver installation and update behavior to require Administrator privileges. This is documented in

KB5005652-Manage new Point and Print default driver installation behavior (CVE-2021-34481)

. This change overrides all Point and Print Group Policy settings and ensures that only Administrators can install printer drivers from a print server using Point and Print.

Enabling Windows User Account Control (UAC) for the installation of new print drivers can help mitigate the PrintNightmare vulnerability (

CVE-2021-34527

) and other Print Spooler attacks.

Although the Point and Print default driver installation behavior overrides this setting, it is important to configure this as a backstop in the event that behavior is reversed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Show warning and elevation prompt :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Point and Print Restrictions: When installing drivers for a new connection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-53 AC-6(8)
800-53R5 AC-6(8)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.7.13 (L1) Ensure 'Point and Print Restrictions: When updating drivers for an existing connection' is set to 'Enabled: Show warning and elevation prompt'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether computers will show a warning and a security elevation prompt when users are updating drivers for an existing connection using Point and Print.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Show warning and elevation prompt

Note: On August 10, 2021, Microsoft announced a

Point and Print Default Behavior Change

which modifies the default Point and Print driver installation and update behavior to require Administrator privileges. This is documented in

KB5005652-Manage new Point and Print default driver installation behavior (CVE-2021-34481)

. This change overrides all Point and Print Group Policy settings and ensures that only Administrators can install printer drivers from a print server using Point and Print.

Enabling Windows User Account Control (UAC) for updating existing print drivers can help mitigate the PrintNightmare vulnerability (

CVE-2021-34527

) and other Print Spooler attacks.

Although the Point and Print default driver installation behavior overrides this setting, it is important to configure this as a backstop in the event that behavior is reversed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Show warning and elevation prompt :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers\Point and Print Restrictions: When updating drivers for an existing connection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Printing.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.8.1.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off notifications network usage' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting blocks applications from using the network to send notifications to update tiles, tile badges, toast, or raw notifications. This policy setting turns off the connection between Windows and the Windows Push Notification Service (WNS). This policy setting also stops applications from being able to poll application services to update tiles.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) is a mechanism to receive third-party notifications and updates from the cloud/Internet. In a high security environment, external systems, especially those hosted outside the organization, should be prevented from having an impact on the secure workstations.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\Notifications\Turn off notifications network usage

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WPN.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Applications and system features will not be able receive notifications from the network from WNS or via notification polling APIs.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.8.2 (L2) Ensure 'Remove Personalized Website Recommendations from the Recommended section in the Start Menu' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures whether personalized website recommendations are shown in the in the Start Menu.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Microsoft's personalized website recommendations are based on data gathered from user activity. This data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\Remove Personalized Website Recommendations from the Recommended section in the Start Menu

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template StartMenu.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Personalized website recommendations will not be shown in the Start Menu.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 2A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.3.1 (L1) Ensure 'Include command line in process creation events' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the process creation command line text is logged in security audit events when a new process has been created.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This feature that this setting controls was not originally supported in workstation OSes older than Windows 8.1. However, in February 2015 Microsoft added support for the feature to Windows 7 and Windows 8.0 via an update -

KB3004375

. Therefore, this setting is also important to set on those older OSes.

Capturing process command line information in event logs can be very valuable when performing forensic investigations of attack incidents.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Audit Process Creation\Include command line in process creation events

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AuditSettings.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Process command line information will be included in the event logs, which can contain sensitive or private information such as passwords or user data.

Warning: There are potential risks of capturing credentials and sensitive information which could be exposed to users who have read-access to event logs. Microsoft provides a feature called 'Protected Event Logging' to better secure event log data. For assistance with protecting event logging, visit:

About Logging Windows - PowerShell | Microsoft Docs

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-53 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-2
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 8.8
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.4.1 (L1) Ensure 'Encryption Oracle Remediation' is set to 'Enabled: Force Updated Clients'
-
Info
Some versions of the CredSSP protocol that is used by some applications (such as Remote Desktop Connection) are vulnerable to an encryption oracle attack against the client. This policy controls compatibility with vulnerable clients and servers and allows you to set the level of protection desired for the encryption oracle vulnerability.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Force Updated Clients

This setting is important to mitigate the CredSSP encryption oracle vulnerability, for which information was published by Microsoft on 03/13/2018 in

CVE-2018-0886 | CredSSP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

. All versions of Windows from Windows Vista onwards are affected by this vulnerability, and will be compatible with this recommendation provided that they have been patched at least through May 2018 (or later).
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Force Updated Clients :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Credentials Delegation\Encryption Oracle Remediation

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CredSsp.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1803 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Client applications which use CredSSP will not be able to fall back to the insecure versions and services using CredSSP will not accept unpatched clients. This setting should not be deployed until all remote hosts support the newest version, which is achieved by ensuring that all Microsoft security updates at least through May 2018 are installed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.4.2 (L1) Ensure 'Remote host allows delegation of non-exportable credentials' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Remote host allows delegation of non-exportable credentials. When using credential delegation, devices provide an exportable version of credentials to the remote host. This exposes users to the risk of credential theft from attackers on the remote host. The Restricted Admin Mode and Windows Defender Remote Credential Guard features are two options to help protect against this risk.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: More detailed information on Windows Defender Remote Credential Guard and how it compares to Restricted Admin Mode can be found at this link:

Protect Remote Desktop credentials with Windows Defender Remote Credential Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Restricted Admin Mode

was designed to help protect administrator accounts by ensuring that reusable credentials are not stored in memory on remote devices that could potentially be compromised.

Windows Defender Remote Credential Guard

helps you protect your credentials over a Remote Desktop connection by redirecting Kerberos requests back to the device that is requesting the connection.Both features should be enabled and supported, as they reduce the chance of credential theft.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Credentials Delegation\Remote host allows delegation of non-exportable credentials

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CredSsp.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The host will support the

Restricted Admin Mode

and

Windows Defender Remote Credential Guard

features.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-53 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5
CSCV7 16.5
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.5.1 (L1) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Virtualization Based Security is enabled. Virtualization Based Security uses the Windows Hypervisor to provide support for security services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Virtualization Based Security requires a 64-bit version of Windows with Secure Boot enabled, which in turn requires that Windows was installed with a UEFI BIOS configuration, not a Legacy BIOS configuration. In addition, if running Windows on a virtual machine, the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) must be exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

Windows Defender Credential Guard Requirements (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

Note #3: If the Level 2 recommendation to configure

Log on as a service

(from Section 2.2) is implemented, the additional security principal WDAGUtilityAccount must also be granted that User Right Assignment in order for Virtualization Based Security (in Microsoft Defender Application Guard) with the Next Generation Windows Security (NGWS) profile to function.

Kerberos, NTLM, and Credential manager isolate secrets by using virtualization-based security. Previous versions of Windows stored secrets in the Local Security Authority (LSA). Prior to Windows 10, the LSA stored secrets used by the operating system in its process memory. With Windows Defender Credential Guard enabled, the LSA process in the operating system talks to a new component called the isolated LSA process that stores and protects those secrets. Data stored by the isolated LSA process is protected using virtualization-based security and is not accessible to the rest of the operating system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Warning: All drivers on the system must be compatible with this feature or the system may crash. Ensure that this policy setting is only deployed to computers which are known to be compatible.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.5.2 (L1) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Select Platform Security Level' is set to 'Secure Boot' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Virtualization Based Security (VBS) is enabled. VBS uses the Windows Hypervisor to provide support for security services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Secure Boot or Secure Boot and DMA Protection

Note: VBS requires a 64-bit version of Windows with Secure Boot enabled, which in turn requires that Windows was installed with a UEFI BIOS configuration, not a Legacy BIOS configuration. In addition, if running Windows on a virtual machine, the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) must be exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

Windows Defender Credential Guard Requirements (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

Secure Boot can help reduce the risk of bootloader attacks and in conjunction with DMA protections to help protect data from being scraped from memory.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Secure Boot or Secure Boot and DMA Protection :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Select Platform Security Level

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Choosing the Secure Boot option provides the system with as much protection as is supported by the computer's hardware. A system with input/output memory management units (IOMMUs) will have Secure Boot with DMA protection. A system without IOMMUs will simply have Secure Boot enabled without DMA protection.

Choosing the Secure Boot with DMA protection option requires the system to have IOMMUs in order to enable VBS. Without IOMMU hardware support, VBS will be disabled.

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Warning: All drivers on the system must be compatible with this feature or the system may crash. Ensure that this policy setting is only deployed to computers which are known to be compatible.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
3 || 1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.5.3 (L1) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Virtualization Based Protection of Code Integrity' is set to 'Enabled with UEFI lock'
-
Info
This setting enables virtualization based protection of Kernel Mode Code Integrity. When this is enabled, kernel mode memory protections are enforced and the Code Integrity validation path is protected by the Virtualization Based Security feature.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled with UEFI lock

Note: Virtualization Based Security requires a 64-bit version of Windows with Secure Boot enabled, which in turn requires that Windows was installed with a UEFI BIOS configuration, not a Legacy BIOS configuration. In addition, if running Windows on a virtual machine, the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) must be exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

Windows Defender Credential Guard Requirements (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

The Enabled with UEFI lock option ensures that Virtualization Based Protection of Code Integrity cannot be disabled remotely.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled with UEFI lock :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Virtualization Based Protection of Code Integrity

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Warning: All drivers on the system must be compatible with this feature or the system may crash. Ensure that this policy setting is only deployed to computers which are known to be compatible.

Warning #2: Once this setting is turned on and active, Virtualization Based Security cannot be disabled solely via GPO or any other remote method. After removing the setting from GPO, the features must also be manually disabled

locally at the machine

using the steps provided at this link:

Manage Windows Defender Credential Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.5.4 (L1) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Require UEFI Memory Attributes Table' is set to 'True (checked)'
-
Info
This option will only enable Virtualization Based Protection of Code Integrity on devices with UEFI firmware support for the Memory Attributes Table. Devices without the UEFI Memory Attributes Table may have firmware that is incompatible with Virtualization Based Protection of Code Integrity which in some cases can lead to crashes or data loss or incompatibility with certain plug-in cards. If not setting this option the targeted devices should be tested to ensure compatibility.

The recommended state for this setting is: True (checked)

Note: Virtualization Based Security requires a 64-bit version of Windows with Secure Boot enabled, which in turn requires that Windows was installed with a UEFI BIOS configuration, not a Legacy BIOS configuration. In addition, if running Windows on a virtual machine, the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) must be exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

Windows Defender Credential Guard Requirements (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

This setting will help protect this control from being enabled on a system that is not compatible which could lead to a crash or data loss.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to TRUE :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Require UEFI Memory Attributes Table

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Warning: All drivers on the system must be compatible with this feature or the system may crash. Ensure that this policy setting is only deployed to computers which are known to be compatible.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.5.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Credential Guard Configuration' is set to 'Enabled with UEFI lock'
-
Info
This setting lets users turn on Credential Guard with virtualization-based security to help protect credentials. The 'Enabled with UEFI lock' option ensures that Credential Guard cannot be disabled remotely. In order to disable the feature, you must set the Group Policy to 'Disabled' as well as remove the security functionality from each computer, with a physically present user, in order to clear configuration persisted in UEFI.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled with UEFI lock

Note: Virtualization Based Security requires a 64-bit version of Windows with Secure Boot enabled, which in turn requires that Windows was installed with a UEFI BIOS configuration, not a Legacy BIOS configuration. In addition, if running Windows on a virtual machine, the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) must be exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

Windows Defender Credential Guard Requirements (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

The Enabled with UEFI lock option ensures that Credential Guard cannot be disabled remotely.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled with UEFI lock :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Credential Guard Configuration

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Warning: All drivers on the system must be compatible with this feature or the system may crash. Ensure that this policy setting is only deployed to computers which are known to be compatible.

Warning #2: Once this setting is turned on and active, Credential Guard cannot be disabled solely via GPO or any other remote method. After removing the setting from GPO, the features must also be manually disabled

locally at the machine

using the steps provided at this link:

Manage Windows Defender Credential Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.5.6 (L1) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Secure Launch Configuration' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Secure Launch protects the Virtualization Based Security environment from exploited vulnerabilities in device firmware.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

Secure Launch changes the way Windows boots to use Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) and Runtime BIOS Resilience features to prevent firmware exploits from being able to impact the security of the Windows Virtualization Based Security environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Secure Launch Configuration

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1809 & Server 2019 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Warning : All drivers on the system must be compatible with this feature or the system may crash. Ensure that this policy setting is only deployed to computers which are known to be compatible.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.5.7 (L1) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection' is set to 'Enabled: Enabled in enforcement mode'
-
Info
This policy setting enables Hardware-enforced Stack Protection for kernel-mode code. Kernel-mode data stacks are hardened with hardware-based shadow stacks, which store intended return address targets to ensure that program control flow is not tampered.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Enabled in enforcement mode

Note: Virtualization Based Security (VBS) requires a 64-bit version of Windows with Secure Boot enabled, which in turn requires that Windows was installed with a UEFI BIOS configuration, not a Legacy BIOS configuration. In addition, if running Windows on a virtual machine, the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) must be exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

Windows Defender Credential Guard Requirements (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: This specific security feature of VBS is only compatible with Windows 11 Release 22H2 (or newer).

Note #3: Only Intel CPUs from Tiger Lake and beyond or AMD CPUs Zen3 and beyond (both were release in fall 2020) are compatible with this security feature.

Note #4: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

This setting stores a copy of the apps shadow stack (intended code execution flow) in the hardware-based (CPU) security feature VBS. This can prevent malware from hijacking an apps code by exploiting memory bugs such as stack buffer overflows, dangling pointers, or uninitialized variables. This allows VBS to shut down any exploit attempts via the modification of the intended code execution flow.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Enabled in enforcement mode

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security: Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

This setting is dependent upon Virtualization Based Protection of Code Integrity (aka HVCI) first being enabled, in addition to CPU hardware support for shadow stacks. If either HVCI is not enabled or hardware-based shadow stacks are not supported, this setting will have no effect.

If this setting is successfully enabled, shadow stack violations will be fatal.

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.7.2 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent device metadata retrieval from the Internet' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to prevent Windows from retrieving device metadata from the Internet.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This will not prevent the installation of basic hardware drivers, but does prevent associated third-party utility software from automatically being installed under the context of the SYSTEM account.

Installation of software should be conducted by an authorized system administrator and not a standard user. Allowing automatic third-party software installations under the context of the SYSTEM account has potential for allowing unauthorized access via backdoors or installation software bugs.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Installation\Prevent device metadata retrieval from the Internet

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceInstallation.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates, or with the Group Policy template DeviceSetup.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Standard users without administrator privileges will not be able to install associated third-party utility software for peripheral devices. This may limit the use of advanced features of those devices unless/until an administrator installs the associated utility software for the device.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV8 2.5
CSCV8 10.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.13.1 (L1) Ensure 'Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy' is set to 'Enabled: Good, unknown and bad but critical'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to specify which boot-start drivers are initialized based on a classification determined by an Early Launch Antimalware boot-start driver. The Early Launch Antimalware boot-start driver can return the following classifications for each boot-start driver:

- Good : The driver has been signed and has not been tampered with.
- Bad : The driver has been identified as malware. It is recommended that you do not allow known bad drivers to be initialized.
- Bad, but required for boot : The driver has been identified as malware, but the computer cannot successfully boot without loading this driver.
- Unknown : This driver has not been attested to by your malware detection application and has not been classified by the Early Launch Antimalware boot-start driver.

If you enable this policy setting you will be able to choose which boot-start drivers to initialize the next time the computer is started.

If your malware detection application does not include an Early Launch Antimalware boot-start driver or if your Early Launch Antimalware boot-start driver has been disabled, this setting has no effect and all boot-start drivers are initialized.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Good, unknown and bad but critical

This policy setting helps reduce the impact of malware that has already infected your system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Good, unknown and bad but critical:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Early Launch Antimalware\Boot-Start Driver Initialization Policy

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EarlyLaunchAM.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
3
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.19.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure registry policy processing: Do not apply during periodic background processing' is set to 'Enabled: FALSE'
-
Info
The 'Do not apply during periodic background processing' option prevents the system from updating affected registry policies in the background while the computer is in use. When background updates are disabled, registry policy changes will not take effect until the next user logon or system restart.

This setting affects all policy settings within the Administrative Templates folder and any other policies that store values in the registry.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: FALSE (unchecked).

Setting this option to false (unchecked) will ensure that domain registry policy changes are applied more quickly, as compared to waiting until the next user logon or system restart.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled then set the Do not apply during periodic background processing option to FALSE (unchecked):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Configure registry policy processing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GroupPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Group Policy settings within the Administrative Templates folder (and other policies that store values in the registry) will be reapplied even when the system is in use, which may have a slight impact on performance.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.4
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.19.3 (L1) Ensure 'Configure registry policy processing: Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed' is set to 'Enabled: TRUE'
-
Info
The 'Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed' option updates and reapplies registry policies even if the registry policies have not changed.

This setting affects all registry policy settings within the Administrative Templates folder and any other policies that store values in the registry.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: TRUE (checked).

Setting this option to true (checked) will ensure unauthorized local changes are reverted to match the domain-based Group Policy settings.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled then set the Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed option to TRUE (checked):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Configure registry policy processing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GroupPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Group Policy settings within the Administrative Templates folder (and other policies that store values in the registry) will be reapplied even if they have not been changed, which may cause Group Policy refreshes to take longer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.4
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.19.4 (L1) Ensure 'Configure security policy processing: Do not apply during periodic background processing' is set to 'Enabled: FALSE'
-
Info
The 'Do not apply during periodic background processing' option prevents the system from updating affected security policies in the background while the computer is in use. When background updates are disabled, updates to security policies will not take effect until the next user logon or system restart.

This setting affects all policy settings that use the built-in security template of Group Policy (e.g. Windows Settings\Security Settings).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: FALSE (unchecked).

Setting this option to false (unchecked) will ensure that domain security policy changes are applied more quickly, as compared to waiting until the next user logon or system restart.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled then set the Do not apply during periodic background processing option to FALSE (unchecked):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Configure security policy processing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GroupPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Built-in security template settings will be reapplied by Group Policy even when the system is in use, which may have a slight impact on performance.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.4
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.19.5 (L1) Ensure 'Configure security policy processing: Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed' is set to 'Enabled: TRUE'
-
Info
The 'Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed' option updates and reapplies security policies even if the security policies have not changed.

This setting affects all policy settings within the built-in security template of Group Policy (e.g. Windows Settings\Security Settings).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: TRUE (checked).

Setting this option to true (checked) will ensure unauthorized local changes are reverted to match the domain-based Group Policy settings.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled then set the Process even if the Group Policy objects have not changed option to TRUE (checked):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Configure security policy processing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GroupPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Built-in security template settings will be reapplied even if they have not been changed, which may cause Group Policy refreshes to take longer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.4
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.19.6 (L1) Ensure 'Continue experiences on this device' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the Windows device is allowed to participate in cross-device experiences (continue experiences).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

A cross-device experience is when a system can access app and send messages to other devices. In an enterprise managed environment only trusted systems should be communicating within the network. Access to any other system should be prohibited.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Continue experiences on this device

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GroupPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The Windows device will not be discoverable by other devices, and cannot participate in cross-device experiences.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off access to the Store' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether to use the Store service for finding an application to open a file with an unhandled file type or protocol association. When a user opens a file type or protocol that is not associated with any applications on the computer, the user is given the choice to select a local application or use the Store service to find an application.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

The Store service is a retail outlet built into Windows, primarily for consumer use. In an enterprise managed environment the IT department should be managing the installation of all applications to reduce the risk of the installation of vulnerable software.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off access to the Store

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The 'Look for an app in the Store' item in the Open With dialog is removed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off downloading of print drivers over HTTP' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the computer can download print driver packages over HTTP. To set up HTTP printing, printer drivers that are not available in the standard operating system installation might need to be downloaded over HTTP.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Users might download drivers that include malicious code.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off downloading of print drivers over HTTP

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Print drivers cannot be downloaded over HTTP.

Note: This policy setting does not prevent the client computer from printing to printers on the intranet or the Internet over HTTP. It only prohibits downloading drivers that are not already installed locally.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
CSCV7 2.7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.3 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off handwriting personalization data sharing' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting turns off data sharing from the handwriting recognition personalization tool.

The handwriting recognition personalization tool enables Tablet PC users to adapt handwriting recognition to their own writing style by providing writing samples. The tool can optionally share user writing samples with Microsoft to improve handwriting recognition in future versions of Windows. The tool generates reports and transmits them to Microsoft over a secure connection.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

A person's handwriting is Personally Identifiable Information (PII), especially when it comes to your signature. As such, it is unacceptable in many environments to automatically upload PII to a website without explicit approval by the user.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off handwriting personalization data sharing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ShapeCollector.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Tablet PC users cannot choose to share writing samples from the handwriting recognition personalization tool with Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.4 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off handwriting recognition error reporting' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Turns off the handwriting recognition error reporting tool.

The handwriting recognition error reporting tool enables users to report errors encountered in Tablet PC Input Panel. The tool generates error reports and transmits them to Microsoft over a secure connection. Microsoft uses these error reports to improve handwriting recognition in future versions of Windows.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

A person's handwriting is Personally Identifiable Information (PII), especially when it comes to your signature. As such, it is unacceptable in many environments to automatically upload PII to a website without explicit approval by the user.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off handwriting recognition error reporting

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template InkWatson.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users cannot start the handwriting recognition error reporting tool or send error reports to Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.5 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Internet Connection Wizard if URL connection is referring to Microsoft.com' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the Internet Connection Wizard can connect to Microsoft to download a list of Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In an enterprise managed environment we want to lower the risk of a user unknowingly exposing sensitive data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off Internet Connection Wizard if URL connection is referring to Microsoft.com

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

The 'Choose a list of Internet Service Providers' path in the Internet Connection Wizard causes the wizard to exit. This prevents users from retrieving the list of ISPs, which resides on Microsoft servers.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.6 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Internet download for Web publishing and online ordering wizards' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Windows will download a list of providers for the Web publishing and online ordering wizards.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Although the risk is minimal, enabling this setting will reduce the possibility of a user unknowingly downloading malicious content through this feature.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off Internet download for Web publishing and online ordering wizards

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Windows is prevented from downloading providers; only the service providers cached in the local registry are displayed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 7.4
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.7 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off printing over HTTP' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to disable the client computer's ability to print over HTTP, which allows the computer to print to printers on the intranet as well as the Internet.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This control affects printing over both HTTP and HTTPS.

Information that is transmitted over HTTP through this capability is not protected and can be intercepted by malicious users. For this reason, it is not often used in enterprise managed environments.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off printing over HTTP

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

The client computer will not be able to print to Internet printers over HTTP or HTTPS.

Note: This policy setting affects the client side of Internet printing only. Regardless of how it is configured, a computer could act as an Internet Printing server and make its shared printers available through HTTP.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 13.3
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.8 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Registration if URL connection is referring to Microsoft.com' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the Windows Registration Wizard connects to Microsoft.com for online registration.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Users in an enterprise managed environment should not be registering their own copies of Windows, providing their own PII in the process.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off Registration if URL connection is referring to Microsoft.com

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users are blocked from connecting to Microsoft.com for online registration and they cannot register their copy of Windows online.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.9 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Search Companion content file updates' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Search Companion should automatically download content updates during local and Internet searches.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

There is a small risk that users will unknowingly reveal sensitive information because of the topics they are searching for. This risk is very low because even if this setting is enabled users still must submit search queries to the desired search engine in order to perform searches.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off Search Companion content file updates

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Search Companion does not download content updates during searches.

Note: Internet searches will still send the search text and information about the search to Microsoft and the chosen search provider. If you select Classic Search, the Search Companion feature will be unavailable. You can select Classic Search by clicking Start, Search, Change Preferences, and then Change Internet Search Behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.10 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off the 'Order Prints' picture task' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the 'Order Prints Online' task is available from Picture Tasks in Windows folders.

The Order Prints Online Wizard is used to download a list of providers and allow users to order prints online.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In an enterprise managed environment we want to lower the risk of a user unknowingly exposing sensitive data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off the 'Order Prints' picture task

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

The task 'Order Prints Online' is removed from Picture Tasks in File Explorer folders.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.11 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off the 'Publish to Web' task for files and folders' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the tasks Publish this file to the Web, Publish this folder to the Web, and Publish the selected items to the Web are available from File and Folder Tasks in Windows folders. The Web Publishing wizard is used to download a list of providers and allow users to publish content to the Web.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Users may publish confidential or sensitive information to a public service outside of the control of the organization.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off the 'Publish to Web' task for files and folders

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

The 'Publish to Web' task is removed from File and Folder tasks in Windows folders.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.12 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off the Windows Messenger Customer Experience Improvement Program' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program can collect anonymous information about how Windows is used.

Microsoft uses information collected through the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program to improve features that are most used and to detect flaws so that they can be corrected more quickly. Enabling this setting will reduce the amount of data Microsoft is able to gather for this purpose. The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Large enterprise managed environments may not want to have information collected by Microsoft from managed client computers.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off the Windows Messenger Customer Experience Improvement Program

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Windows Messenger will not collect usage information, and the user settings to enable the collection of usage information will not be shown.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.13 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Windows Messenger can collect anonymous information about how the Windows Messenger software and service is used.

Microsoft uses information collected through the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program to detect software flaws so that they can be corrected more quickly, enabling this setting will reduce the amount of data Microsoft is able to gather for this purpose. The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Large enterprise managed environments may not want to have information collected by Microsoft from managed client computers.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

All users are opted out of the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.20.1.14 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Windows Error Reporting' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether or not errors are reported to Microsoft.

Error Reporting is used to report information about a system or application that has failed or has stopped responding and is used to improve the quality of the product.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

If a Windows Error occurs in a secure, enterprise managed environment, the error should be reported directly to IT staff for troubleshooting and remediation. There is no benefit to the corporation to report these errors directly to Microsoft, and there is some risk of unknowingly exposing sensitive data as part of the error.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off Windows Error Reporting

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template ICM.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users are not given the option to report errors to Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - Disabled:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 1


-------------------------
FAILED - DoReport:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0
18.9.23.1 (L2) Ensure 'Support device authentication using certificate' is set to 'Enabled: Automatic'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to set support for Kerberos to attempt authentication using the certificate for the device to the domain.

Support for device authentication using certificate will require connectivity to a DC in the device account domain which supports certificate authentication for computer accounts.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Automatic

Having stronger device authentication with the use of certificates is strongly encouraged over standard username and password authentication. Having this set to Automatic will allow certificate based authentication to be used whenever possible.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Automatic :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Kerberos\Support device authentication using certificate

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Kerberos.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171R3 03.04.10
800-171R3 03.05.02
800-53 CM-8
800-53 IA-3
800-53R5 CM-8
800-53R5 IA-3
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(b)
CSCV7 1.6
CSCV7 1.8
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF ID.AM-1
CSF ID.AM-2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.DS-3
CSF2.0 ID.AM-01
CSF2.0 ID.AM-02
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-8
ITSG-33 IA-3
ITSG-33 IA-3a.
LEVEL 2A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T5.4.3
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 27.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - Ensure 'DevicePKInitBehavior' is 'Windows: Registry Value' to '0':
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - Ensure 'DevicePKInitEnabled' is 'Windows: Registry Value' to '1':
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 1
18.9.25.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure password backup directory' is set to 'Enabled: Active Directory' or 'Enabled: Azure Active Directory'
-
Info
This policy setting configures which directory Windows LAPS will use to back up the local admin account password.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Active Directory or Enabled: Azure Active Directory

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Note #3: Windows LAPS does not support simultaneous storage of the local admin password in both directory types.

Note #4: If the setting is configured and the managed device is not joined to the configured directory type, the local administrator password will not be managed by Windows LAPS.

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Active Directory or Enabled: Azure Active Directory :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Configure password backup directory

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

The passwords managed by Windows LAPS will only be retrievable from the configured directory type.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.8.9
800-171R3 03.08.09
800-53 CP-9
800-53R5 CP-9
CSF PR.IP-4
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.DS-11
CSF2.0 RC.RP-03
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.c
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.29
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.13
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.3.1
ITSG-33 CP-9
LEVEL 1A
NESA M5.2.3
NESA T2.2.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.25.2 (L1) Ensure 'Do not allow password expiration time longer than required by policy' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures whether the password age dictated by the Windows LAPS 'Password Settings' policy is enforced and cannot be extended manually (only shortened) by an authorized technician.

If an expiration is detected, the password is changed immediately, and password expiration is set according to policy.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Do not allow password expiration time longer than required by policy

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 23H2 Administrative Templates v2.0 (or newer).

Note #2: This setting also existed in the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 v3.0 and 23H2 v1.0 Administrative Templates, but it was misconfigured in those versions with the incorrect registry value. Please ensure you are using Windows 11 Release 23H2 Administrative Templates v2.0 (or newer) when configuring this setting to ensure the correct registry value is set.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.

Planned password expiration longer than password age dictated by 'Password Settings' policy is NOT allowed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07d.
800-53 IA-5(1)(d)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)(d)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(e)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(b)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.3
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)(d)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
NIAV2 AM20
NIAV2 AM21
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 26.2.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.25.3 (L1) Ensure 'Enable password encryption' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the Windows LAPS managed password is encrypted before being sent to Active Directory.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Note #3: This setting has no effect unless the password has been configured to be backed up to Active Directory, and the Active Directory domain functional level is at Windows Server 2016 or above.

Note #4: This setting has no relevance (but is harmless) when storing Windows LAPS passwords to Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) as it automatically encrypts all Windows LAPS passwords.

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Enable password encryption

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.

If the domain functional level is set at or above Windows Server 2016, the Windows LAPS managed account password is encrypted automatically, if it is set at a lower domain functional level, the Windows LAPS managed account password will not be backed up to the directory.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 14.4
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.25.4 (L1) Ensure 'Password Settings: Password Complexity' is set to 'Enabled: Large letters + small letters + numbers + special characters'
-
Info
This policy setting configures the Windows LAPS Password Settings policy for password complexity.

Each additional character in a password increases its complexity exponentially. For instance, a seven-character, all lower-case alphabetic password would have 26 to the power of 7 (approximately 8 x 10 to the power of 9 or 8 billion) possible combinations. At 1,000,000 attempts per second (a capability of many password-cracking utilities), it would only take 133 minutes to crack. A seven-character alphabetic password with case sensitivity has 52 to the power of 7 combinations. A seven-character case-sensitive alphanumeric password without punctuation has 627 combinations. An eight-character password has 26 to the power of 8 (or 2 x 10 to the power of 11) possible combinations. Although this might seem to be a large number, at 1,000,000 attempts per second it would take only 59 hours to try all possible passwords. Remember, these times will significantly increase for passwords that use ALT characters and other special keyboard characters such as '!' or '@'. Proper use of the password settings can help make it difficult to mount a brute force attack.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Large letters + small letters + numbers + special characters

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled and configure the Password Complexity option to Large letters + small letters + numbers + special characters :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Password Settings

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 4.4
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.25.5 (L1) Ensure 'Password Settings: Password Length' is set to 'Enabled: 15 or more'
-
Info
This policy setting configures the Windows LAPS Password Settings policy for password length.

Each additional character in a password increases its complexity exponentially. For instance, a seven-character, all lower-case alphabetic password would have 26 to the power of 7 (approximately 8 x 10 to the power of 9 or 8 billion) possible combinations. At 1,000,000 attempts per second (a capability of many password-cracking utilities), it would only take 133 minutes to crack. A seven-character alphabetic password with case sensitivity has 52 to the power of 7 combinations. A seven-character case-sensitive alphanumeric password without punctuation has 627 combinations. An eight-character password has 26 to the power of 8 (or 2 x 10 to the power of 11) possible combinations. Although this might seem to be a large number, at 1,000,000 attempts per second it would take only 59 hours to try all possible passwords. Remember, these times will significantly increase for passwords that use ALT characters and other special keyboard characters such as '!' or '@'. Proper use of the password settings can help make it difficult to mount a brute force attack.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 15 or more

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled and configure the Password Length option to 15 or more :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Password Settings

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Windows LAPS-generated passwords will be required to have a length of 15 characters (or more, if selected).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 4.4
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[15..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.25.6 (L1) Ensure 'Password Settings: Password Age (Days)' is set to 'Enabled: 30 or fewer'
-
Info
This policy setting configures the Windows LAPS Password Settings policy for password age.

Because attackers can crack passwords, the more frequently the password is changed the less opportunity an attacker has to use a cracked password.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 30 or fewer

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled and configure the Password Age (Days) option to 30 or fewer :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Password Settings

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior, unless set to fewer than 30 days.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 16.10
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[0..30]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.25.7 (L1) Ensure 'Post-authentication actions: Grace period (hours)' is set to 'Enabled: 8 or fewer hours, but not 0'
-
Info
This policy settings configures post-authentication actions which will be executed after detecting an authentication by the Windows LAPS managed account. The Grace period refers to the amount of time (hours) to wait after an authentication before executing the specified post-authentication actions.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 8 or fewer hours, but not 0

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Note #3: If this policy is set to 0 it prevents all post-authentication actions from occurring.

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 8 or fewer hours, but not 0 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Post-authentication actions: Grace period (hours)

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

After 8 hours, the Windows LAPS managed account password will be reset and log off the system.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..8]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.25.8 (L1) Ensure 'Post-authentication actions: Actions' is set to 'Enabled: Reset the password and logoff the managed account' or higher
-
Info
This policy settings configures post-authentication actions which will be executed after detecting an authentication by the LAPS managed account. The Action refers to actions to take upon expiry of the grace period before executing the specified post-authentication actions.

Post-authentication actions:

- Reset password : upon expiry of the grace period, the managed account password will be reset.
- Reset the password and logoff the managed account : upon expiry of the grace period, the managed account password will be reset and any interactive logon sessions using the managed account will terminated.
- Reset the password and reboot the device : upon expiry of the grace period, the managed account password will be reset and the managed device will be immediately rebooted.

Warning: After an interactive logon session is terminated, other authenticated sessions using the Windows LAPS managed account may still be active. The only way to ensure that the previous password is no longer in use is to reboot the OS.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Reset the password and logoff the managed account or higher.

Note: Organizations that utilize third-party commercial software to manage unique & complex local Administrator passwords on domain members may opt to disregard these LAPS recommendations.

Note #2: Windows LAPS does not support standalone computers - they must be joined to an Active Directory domain or Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).

Due to the difficulty in managing local Administrator passwords, many organizations choose to use the same password on all workstations and/or Member Servers when deploying them. This creates a serious attack surface security risk because if an attacker manages to compromise one system and learn the password to its local Administrator account, then they can leverage that account to instantly gain access to all other computers that also use that password for their local Administrator account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Reset the password and logoff the managed account or higher:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\LAPS\Post-authentication actions: Actions

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LAPS.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

After the grace period expires, the Windows LAPS managed account password will be reset and logged off the system or the OS will be restarted.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
3 || 5
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.26.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Custom SSPs and APs to be loaded into LSASS' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the configuration under which the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) will load custom Security Support Provider/Authentication Package (SSP/AP).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Vulnerabilities exist where attackers are able to intercept logon credentials via SSP/AP. Disabling Custom SSPs and APs to be loaded into LSASS minimizes this vulnerability.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Local Security Authority\Allow Custom SSPs and APs to be loaded into LSASS

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LocalSecurityAuthority.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Custom Security Support Provider/Authentication Packages will not be permitted to load this may impact some legitimate third-party packages.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.26.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configures LSASS to run as a protected process' is set to 'Enabled: Enabled with UEFI Lock'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the Local Security Authority Subservice Service (LSASS) runs in protected mode and also has the option to lock in protected mode with Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). The Local Security Authority (LSA), which includes the LSASS process, validates users for local and remote sign-ins and enforces local security policies.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Enabled with UEFI Lock

Note: This additional protection to prevent reading memory and code injection by non-protected processes is supported by Windows 8.1 (or newer).

Provides added security for the credentials that LSA stores and manages. Enabling this setting with UEFI Lock prevents the setting from being changed remotely.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Enabled with UEFI Lock :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Local Security Authority\Configures LSASS to run as a protected process

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template LocalSecurityAuthority.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Note #2: In the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 23H2 Administrative Templates, the registry location of

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa:RunAsPPL

was set for

Configures LSASS to run as a protected process

. This same registry location and value was also created if the setting

Ensure 'LSA Protection' is set to 'Enabled'

was also applied. This appears to have been a mistake in the ADMX/ADML Templates for that release.

Starting with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates, the setting

Configures LSASS to run as a protected process

has a new registry location of

HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

. In addition, the setting

LSA Protection

will be displayed by GPME when this setting (

Configures LSASS to run as a protected process

) is configured.

If

Configures LSASS to run as a protected process

was configured using an older version of the ADML/ADML templates, the new registry location will not auto-apply to the system, and assessment scans using the latest benchmark might fail. To fix this issue, the ADMX/ADML templates must be updated to the latest version, the setting removed from the GPO, and then added back in.

If the Microsoft Windows 10 Benchmark is applied,

LSA Protection

is configured via a separate recommendation for older versions of the Windows 10 Operating System using the SecGuide.admx/adml templates. That configuration is checked for separately from this recommendation.

Impact:

Once this setting has been applied (Enabled), removing the group policy setting (set to Not Configured) will not reverse the impact. In order to reverse the impact, you must explicitly configure this setting to Disabled and follow

Microsoft's documentation on disabling the UEFI Lock

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

2
18.9.27.1 (L2) Ensure 'Disallow copying of user input methods to the system account for sign-in' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy prevents automatic copying of user input methods to the system account for use on the sign-in screen. The user is restricted to the set of input methods that are enabled in the system account.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This is a way to increase the security of the system account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Locale Services\Disallow copying of user input methods to the system account for sign-in

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Globalization.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will have input methods enabled for the system account on the sign-in page.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.28.1 (L1) Ensure 'Block user from showing account details on sign-in' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy prevents the user from showing account details (email address or user name) on the sign-in screen.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

An attacker with access to the console (for example, someone with physical access or someone who is able to connect to the workstation through Remote Desktop Services) could view the name of the last user who logged on to the server. The attacker could then try to guess the password, use a dictionary, or use a brute-force attack to try and log on.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Block user from showing account details on sign-in

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Logon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users cannot choose to show account details on the sign-in screen.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.28.2 (L1) Ensure 'Do not display network selection UI' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to control whether anyone can interact with available networks UI on the logon screen.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

An unauthorized user could disconnect the PC from the network or can connect the PC to other available networks without signing into Windows.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Do not display network selection UI

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Logon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The PC's network connectivity state cannot be changed without signing into Windows.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.28.3 (L1) Ensure 'Do not enumerate connected users on domain-joined computers' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting prevents connected users from being enumerated on domain-joined computers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

A malicious user could use this feature to gather account names of other users, that information could then be used in conjunction with other types of attacks such as guessing passwords or social engineering. The value of this countermeasure is small because a user with domain credentials could gather the same account information using other methods.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Do not enumerate connected users on domain-joined computers

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Logon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The Logon UI will not enumerate any connected users on domain-joined computers.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.28.4 (L1) Ensure 'Enumerate local users on domain-joined computers' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows local users to be enumerated on domain-joined computers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

A malicious user could use this feature to gather account names of other users, that information could then be used in conjunction with other types of attacks such as guessing passwords or social engineering. The value of this countermeasure is small because a user with domain credentials could gather the same account information using other methods.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Enumerate local users on domain-joined computers

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Logon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.28.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off app notifications on the lock screen' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to prevent app notifications from appearing on the lock screen.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

App notifications might display sensitive business or personal data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Turn off app notifications on the lock screen

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Logon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

No app notifications are displayed on the lock screen.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.28.6 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off picture password sign-in' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to control whether a domain user can sign in using a picture password.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: If the picture password feature is permitted, the user's domain password is cached in the system vault when using it.

Picture passwords bypass the requirement for a typed complex password. In a shared work environment, a simple shoulder surf where someone observed the on-screen gestures would allow that person to gain access to the system without the need to know the complex password. Vertical monitor screens with an image are much more visible at a distance than horizontal key strokes, increasing the likelihood of a successful observation of the mouse gestures.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Turn off picture password sign-in

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CredentialProviders.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to set up or sign in with a picture password.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.28.7 (L1) Ensure 'Turn on convenience PIN sign-in' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to control whether a domain user can sign in using a convenience PIN. In Windows 10, convenience PIN was replaced with Passport, which has stronger security properties. To configure Passport for domain users, use the policies under Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Passport for Work.

Note: The user's domain password will be cached in the system vault when using this feature.

Note #2: If this setting is Disabled Windows Hello will not allow Windows Hello Face or Fingerprint to be configured. An exception to this recommendation might be needed if these features are used in the environment.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

A PIN is created from a much smaller selection of characters than a password, so in most cases a PIN will be much less robust than a password.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Turn on convenience PIN sign-in

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CredentialProviders.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Turn on PIN sign-in

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.30.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Block NetBIOS-based discovery for domain controller location' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the Domain Controller (DC) location algorithm uses NetBIOS-based discovery for the Domain Controller's location.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

NetBIOS is considered insecure because it doesn't perform authentication, and can allow remote attackers to trigger a denial of service by sending spoofed Name Conflicts or Name Release datagrams. This is also known as NetBIOS Name Server Protocol Spoofing.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Net Logon\DC Locator DNS Records\Block NetBIOS-based discovery for domain controller location

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Netlogon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.31.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow Clipboard synchronization across devices' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting determines whether Clipboard contents can be synchronized across devices.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In high security environments, clipboard data should stay local to the system and not synced across devices, as it may contain very sensitive information that must be contained locally.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\OS Policies\Allow Clipboard synchronization across devices

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template OSPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1809 & Server 2019 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Clipboard contents will not be shareable to other devices.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.31.2 (L2) Ensure 'Allow upload of User Activities' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether published User Activities can be uploaded to the cloud.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\OS Policies\Allow upload of User Activities

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template OSPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1803 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Activities of type User Activity are not allowed to be uploaded to the cloud. The Timeline feature will not function across devices.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.33.6.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow network connectivity during connected-standby (on battery)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to control the network connectivity state in standby on modern standby-capable systems.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Disabling this setting ensures that the computer will not be accessible to attackers over a WLAN network while left unattended, on battery and in a sleep state.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Power Management\Sleep Settings\Allow network connectivity during connected-standby (on battery)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Power.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Network connectivity in standby (while on battery) is not guaranteed. This connectivity restriction currently only applies to WLAN networks only, but is subject to change (according to Microsoft).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.33.6.2 (L1) Ensure 'Allow network connectivity during connected-standby (plugged in)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to control the network connectivity state in standby on modern standby-capable systems.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Disabling this setting ensures that the computer will not be accessible to attackers over a WLAN network while left unattended, plugged in and in a sleep state.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Power Management\Sleep Settings\Allow network connectivity during connected-standby (plugged in)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Power.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Network connectivity in standby (while plugged in) is not guaranteed. This connectivity restriction currently only applies to WLAN networks only, but is subject to change (according to Microsoft).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.33.6.5 (L1) Ensure 'Require a password when a computer wakes (on battery)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Specifies whether or not the user is prompted for a password when the system resumes from sleep.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Enabling this setting ensures that anyone who wakes an unattended computer from sleep state will have to provide logon credentials before they can access the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Power Management\Sleep Settings\Require a password when a computer wakes (on battery)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Power.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.33.6.6 (L1) Ensure 'Require a password when a computer wakes (plugged in)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Specifies whether or not the user is prompted for a password when the system resumes from sleep.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Enabling this setting ensures that anyone who wakes an unattended computer from sleep state will have to provide logon credentials before they can access the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Power Management\Sleep Settings\Require a password when a computer wakes (plugged in)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Power.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.35.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Offer Remote Assistance' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to turn on or turn off Offer (Unsolicited) Remote Assistance on this computer.

Help desk and support personnel will not be able to proactively offer assistance, although they can still respond to user assistance requests.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

A user might be tricked and accept an unsolicited Remote Assistance offer from a malicious user.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Remote Assistance\Configure Offer Remote Assistance

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template RemoteAssistance.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.35.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Solicited Remote Assistance' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to turn on or turn off Solicited (Ask for) Remote Assistance on this computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

There is slight risk that a rogue administrator will gain access to another user's desktop session, however, they cannot connect to a user's computer unannounced or control it without permission from the user. When an expert tries to connect, the user can still choose to deny the connection or give the expert view-only privileges. The user must explicitly click the Yes button to allow the expert to remotely control the workstation.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Remote Assistance\Configure Solicited Remote Assistance

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template RemoteAssistance.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users on this computer cannot use e-mail or file transfer to ask someone for help. Also, users cannot use instant messaging programs to allow connections to this computer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.36.1 (L1) Ensure 'Enable RPC Endpoint Mapper Client Authentication' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether RPC clients authenticate with the Endpoint Mapper Service when the call they are making contains authentication information. The Endpoint Mapper Service on computers running Windows NT4 (all service packs) cannot process authentication information supplied in this manner.

This policy setting can cause a specific issue with

1-way

forest trusts if it is applied to the

trusting

domain DCs (see Microsoft

KB3073942

), so we do not recommend applying it to Domain Controllers.

Note: This policy will not in effect until the system is rebooted.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Anonymous access to RPC services could result in accidental disclosure of information to unauthenticated users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Remote Procedure Call\Enable RPC Endpoint Mapper Client Authentication

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template RPC.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

RPC clients will authenticate to the Endpoint Mapper Service for calls that contain authentication information. Clients making such calls will not be able to communicate with the Windows NT4 Server Endpoint Mapper Service.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.36.2 (L1) Ensure 'Restrict Unauthenticated RPC clients' is set to 'Enabled: Authenticated'
-
Info
This policy setting controls how the RPC server runtime handles unauthenticated RPC clients connecting to RPC servers.

This policy setting impacts all RPC applications. In a domain environment this policy setting should be used with caution as it can impact a wide range of functionality including group policy processing itself. Reverting a change to this policy setting can require manual intervention on each affected machine. This policy setting should never be applied to a Domain Controller.

A client will be considered an authenticated client if it uses a named pipe to communicate with the server or if it uses RPC Security. RPC Interfaces that have specifically requested to be accessible by unauthenticated clients may be exempt from this restriction, depending on the selected value for this policy setting.

-

' None ' allows all RPC clients to connect to RPC Servers running on the machine on which the policy setting is applied.

-

' Authenticated ' allows only authenticated RPC Clients (per the definition above) to connect to RPC Servers running on the machine on which the policy setting is applied. Exemptions are granted to interfaces that have requested them.

-

' Authenticated without exceptions ' allows only authenticated RPC Clients (per the definition above) to connect to RPC Servers running on the machine on which the policy setting is applied. No exceptions are allowed. This value has the potential to cause serious problems and is not recommended.

Note: This policy setting will not be applied until the system is rebooted.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Authenticated

Unauthenticated RPC communication can create a security vulnerability.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Authenticated :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Remote Procedure Call\Restrict Unauthenticated RPC clients

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template RPC.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.39.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure SAM change password RPC methods policy' is set to 'Enabled: Block all change password RPC methods'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which RPC methods can be used to change passwords stored in the Security Account Manager (SAM).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Block all change password RPC methods

User passwords stored in the SAM should only be changed from a Domain Controller using secure methods.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Block all change password RPC methods :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Security Account Manager\Configure SAM change password RPC methods policy

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template SAM.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.47.5.1 (L2) Ensure 'Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool: Turn on MSDT interactive communication with support provider' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) interactive communication with the support provider. MSDT gathers diagnostic data for analysis by support professionals.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Troubleshooting and Diagnostics\Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool\Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool: Turn on MSDT interactive communication with support provider

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template MSDT.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

MSDT cannot run in support mode, and no data can be collected or sent to the support provider.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.47.11.1 (L2) Ensure 'Enable/Disable PerfTrack' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether to enable or disable tracking of responsiveness events.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

When enabled the aggregated data of a given event will be transmitted to Microsoft. The option exists to restrict this feature for a specific user, set the consent level, and designate specific programs for which error reports could be sent. However, centrally restricting the ability to execute PerfTrack to limit the potential for unauthorized or undesired usage, data leakage, or unintentional communications is highly recommended.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Troubleshooting and Diagnostics\Windows Performance PerfTrack\Enable/Disable PerfTrack

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template PerformancePerftrack.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Responsiveness events are not processed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.49.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off the advertising ID' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting turns off the advertising ID, preventing apps from using the ID for experiences across apps.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Tracking user activity for advertising purposes, even anonymously, may be a privacy concern. In an enterprise managed environment, applications should not need or require tracking for targeted advertising.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\User Profiles\Turn off the advertising ID

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template UserProfiles.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The advertising ID is turned off. Apps can't use the ID for experiences across apps.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.51.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Enable Windows NTP Client' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the Windows NTP Client is enabled. Enabling the Windows NTP Client allows synchronization from a systems computer clock to NTP server(s).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: If a third-party time provider is used in the environment, an exception to this recommendation will be needed.

A reliable and accurate account of time is important for a number of services and security requirements, including but not limited to distributed applications, authentication services, multi-user databases and logging services. The use of an NTP client (with secure operation) establishes functional accuracy and is a focal point when reviewing security relevant events.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Windows Time Service\Time Providers\Enable Windows NTP Client

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template W32Time.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

System time will be synced to the configured NTP server(s).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.3.7
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.03.07
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-8
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-8
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.1
CSCV8 8.4
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.17
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-8
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 37.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.51.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Enable Windows NTP Server' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the Windows NTP Server is enabled. Disabling this setting prevents the system from acting as a NTP Server (time source) to service NTP requests from other systems (NTP Clients).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

The configuration of proper time synchronization is critically important in an enterprise managed environment both due to the sensitivity of Kerberos authentication timestamps and also to ensure accurate security logging. This should be done through a known NTP server. Member servers and workstations should not typically be time sources for other clients.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Windows Time Service\Time Providers\Enable Windows NTP Server

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template W32Time.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.6
800-171 3.3.7
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-171R3 03.03.07
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-8
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-8
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.1
CSCV8 8.4
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.17
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-8
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
TBA-FIISB 37.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.9.52 (L1) Ensure 'Configure the behavior of the sudo command' is set to 'Enabled: Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures the use of the sudo.exe command line tool. The sudo feature in Windows allows users to run elevated commands (as an administrator) directly from an unelevated console session.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Disabled

Sudo for Windows could be exploited for escalation of privilege and spoofing attacks by a malicious actor. For example, in October 2024,

CVE-2024-43571

(spoofing vulnerability) was created by Microsoft.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Configure the behavior of the sudo command

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template Sudo.admx that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The sudo.exe command line tool will not be available on the system.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.3.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off API Sampling' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines if API data sampling is sent to Microsoft. API sampling monitors the sampled collection of APIs used during system runtime to help diagnose compatibility problems in Windows.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App and Device Inventory\Turn off API Sampling

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppDeviceInventory.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

API data sampling will not be sent to Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.3.2 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Application Footprint' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines if Application Footprint data is sent to Microsoft. Application Footprint monitors a sampled collection of registry and file activity to help diagnose compatibility problems.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App and Device Inventory\Turn off Application Footprint

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppDeviceInventory.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Data from Application Footprint sampling will not be sent to Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.3.3 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Install Tracing' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines if Install Tracing data is sent to Microsoft. Install Tracing tracks application installs to help diagnose compatibility problems.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App and Device Inventory\Turn off Install Tracing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppDeviceInventory.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Data from Install Tracing sampling will not be sent to Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.4.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow a Windows app to share application data between users' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Manages a Windows app's ability to share data between users who have installed the app. Data is shared through the SharedLocal folder. This folder is available through the Windows.Storage API.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Users of a system could accidentally share sensitive data with other users on the same system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Package Deployment\Allow a Windows app to share application data between users

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppxPackageManager.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-53 AC-3
800-53R5 AC-3
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 14.6
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ITSG-33 AC-3
LEVEL 2A
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 SS29
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 31.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.4.2 (L1) Ensure 'Not allow per-user unsigned packages to install by default (requires explicitly allow per install)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting manages a user's ability to install unsigned Windows App packages.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Unsigned Windows App packages will require an explicit allow per install if this setting is disabled.

In a corporate managed environment, application installations should be managed centrally by IT staff, not by end users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Package Deployment\Not allow per-user unsigned packages to install by default (requires explicitly allow per install)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppxPackageManager.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Standard users will not be able to install unsigned packaged Microsoft Store Apps, unless they are explicitly permitted by other policies.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 4.3
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.4.3 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent non-admin users from installing packaged Windows apps' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting manages non-Administrator users' ability to install Windows app packages.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a corporate managed environment, application installations should be managed centrally by IT staff, not by end users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Package Deployment\Prevent non-admin users from installing packaged Windows apps

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppxPackageManager.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 2004 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Non-Administrator users will not be able to install Microsoft Store app packages, unless they are explicitly permitted by other policies. If a Microsoft Store app is required for legitimate use, an Administrator will need to perform the installation from an Administrator context.

This setting can prevent standard users (without Administrator access) from launching Office 365 (O365) applications, displaying the error:

'Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.'
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 4.3
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.5.1 (L1) Ensure 'Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked' is set to 'Enabled: Force Deny'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Windows apps can be activated by voice (apps and Cortana) while the system is locked.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Force Deny

Access to any computer resource should not be allowed when the device is locked.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Force Deny :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy\Let Windows apps activate with voice while the system is locked

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppPrivacy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1903 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to activate apps while the computer is locked.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.6.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Microsoft accounts to be optional' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting lets you control whether Microsoft accounts are optional for Windows Store apps that require an account to sign in. This policy only affects Windows Store apps that support it.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Enabling this setting allows an organization to use their enterprise user accounts instead of using their Microsoft accounts when accessing Windows store apps. This provides the organization with greater control over relevant credentials. Microsoft accounts cannot be centrally managed and as such enterprise credential security policies cannot be applied to them, which could put any information accessed by using Microsoft accounts at risk.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App runtime\Allow Microsoft accounts to be optional

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppXRuntime.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows Store apps that typically require a Microsoft account to sign in will allow users to sign in with an enterprise account instead.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(1)
800-53R5 AC-2(1)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CSCV7 16.2
CSCV8 5.6
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2(1)
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SS14e
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.6.2 (L2) Ensure 'Block launching Universal Windows apps with Windows Runtime API access from hosted content.' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Microsoft Store apps with Windows Runtime API access directly from web content can be launched.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Blocking apps from the web with direct access to the Windows API can prevent malicious apps from being run on a system. Only system administrators should be installing approved applications.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App runtime\Block launching Universal Windows apps with Windows Runtime API access from hosted content.

Note: A reboot may be required after the setting is applied.

Note #2: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppXRuntime.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #3: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Block launching Windows Store apps with Windows Runtime API access from hosted content

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 10 Release 1803 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Universal Windows apps which declare Windows Runtime API access in the ApplicationContentUriRules section of the manifest cannot be launched (Universal Windows apps which have not declared Windows Runtime API access in the manifest will not be affected).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.8.1 (L1) Ensure 'Disallow Autoplay for non-volume devices' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting disallows AutoPlay for MTP devices like cameras or phones.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

An attacker could use this feature to launch a program to damage a client computer or data on the computer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\AutoPlay Policies\Disallow Autoplay for non-volume devices

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AutoPlay.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

AutoPlay will not be allowed for MTP devices like cameras or phones.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.8.7
800-171R3 03.08.07
800-53 MP-7
800-53R5 MP-7
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(c)
CSCV7 8.5
CSCV8 10.3
CSF PR.PT-2
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.10
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.3
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.8.2 (L1) Ensure 'Set the default behavior for AutoRun' is set to 'Enabled: Do not execute any autorun commands'
-
Info
This policy setting sets the default behavior for Autorun commands. Autorun commands are generally stored in autorun.inf files. They often launch the installation program or other routines.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Do not execute any autorun commands

Prior to Windows Vista, when media containing an autorun command is inserted, the system will automatically execute the program without user intervention. This creates a major security concern as code may be executed without user's knowledge. The default behavior starting with Windows Vista is to prompt the user whether autorun command is to be run. The autorun command is represented as a handler in the Autoplay dialog.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Do not execute any autorun commands :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\AutoPlay Policies\Set the default behavior for AutoRun

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AutoPlay.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

AutoRun commands will be completely disabled.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.8.7
800-171R3 03.08.07
800-53 MP-7
800-53R5 MP-7
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(c)
CSCV7 8.5
CSCV8 10.3
CSF PR.PT-2
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.10
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.3
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.8.3 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Autoplay' is set to 'Enabled: All drives'
-
Info
Autoplay starts to read from a drive as soon as you insert media in the drive, which causes the setup file for programs or audio media to start immediately. An attacker could use this feature to launch a program to damage the computer or data on the computer. Autoplay is disabled by default on some removable drive types, such as floppy disk and network drives, but not on CD-ROM drives.

Note: You cannot use this policy setting to enable Autoplay on computer drives in which it is disabled by default, such as floppy disk and network drives.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: All drives

An attacker could use this feature to launch a program to damage a client computer or data on the computer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: All drives :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\AutoPlay Policies\Turn off Autoplay

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AutoPlay.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Autoplay will be disabled - users will have to manually launch setup or installation programs that are provided on removable media.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.8.7
800-171R3 03.08.07
800-53 MP-7
800-53R5 MP-7
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(c)
CSCV7 8.5
CSCV8 10.3
CSF PR.PT-2
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.10
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.3
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
255
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.9.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure enhanced anti-spoofing' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether enhanced anti-spoofing is configured for devices which support it.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Enterprise managed environments are now supporting a wider range of mobile devices, increasing the security on these devices will help protect against unauthorized access on your network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Biometrics\Facial Features\Configure enhanced anti-spoofing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Biometrics.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In the Windows 10 Release 1511 and Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Use enhanced anti-spoofing when available

. It was renamed to

Configure enhanced anti-spoofing

starting with the Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Windows will require all users on the device to use anti-spoofing for facial features, on devices which support it.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SC-39
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SC-39
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.11.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow Use of Camera' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the use of Camera devices on the machine are permitted.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Cameras in a high security environment can pose serious privacy and data exfiltration risks - they should be disabled to help mitigate that risk.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Camera\Allow Use of Camera

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Camera.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to utilize the camera on a system.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.13.1 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off cloud consumer account state content' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether cloud consumer account state content is allowed in all Windows experiences.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

The use of consumer accounts in an enterprise managed environment is not good security practice as it could lead to possible data leakage.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Turn off cloud consumer account state content

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to use Microsoft consumer accounts on the system, and associated Windows experiences will instead present default fallback content.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(1)
800-53R5 AC-2(1)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CSCV8 5.6
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2(1)
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SS14e
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.13.2 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off cloud optimized content' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting turns off cloud optimized content in all Windows experiences.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Turn off cloud optimized content

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 20H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows experiences that use the cloud optimized content client component, will present the default fallback content instead of customized content.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.13.3 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting turns off experiences that help consumers make the most of their devices and Microsoft account.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note:

Per Microsoft TechNet

, this policy setting only applies to Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education editions.

Having apps silently install in an enterprise managed environment is not good security practice - especially if the apps send data back to a third-party.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will no longer see personalized recommendations from Microsoft and notifications about their Microsoft account.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.14.1 (L1) Ensure 'Require pin for pairing' is set to 'Enabled: First Time' OR 'Enabled: Always'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether or not a PIN is required for pairing to a wireless display device.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: First Time OR Enabled: Always

If this setting is not configured or disabled then a PIN would not be required when pairing wireless display devices to the system, increasing the risk of unauthorized use.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: First Time OR Enabled: Always :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Connect\Require pin for pairing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WirelessDisplay.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer). The new Choose one of the following actions sub-option was later added as of the Windows 10 Release 1809 Administrative Templates. Choosing Enabled in the older templates is the equivalent of choosing Enabled: First Time in the newer templates.

Impact:

The pairing ceremony for connecting to new wireless display devices will always require a PIN.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-53 IA-5c.
800-53R5 IA-5c.
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(a)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.3
ITSG-33 IA-5c.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.1
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.5.2
NESA T5.5.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.15.1 (L1) Ensure 'Do not display the password reveal button' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to configure the display of the password reveal button in password entry user experiences.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This is a useful feature when entering a long and complex password, especially when using a touchscreen. The potential risk is that someone else may see your password while surreptitiously observing your screen.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Credential User Interface\Do not display the password reveal button

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CredUI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The password reveal button will not be displayed after a user types a password in the password entry text box.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.15.2 (L1) Ensure 'Enumerate administrator accounts on elevation' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether administrator accounts are displayed when a user attempts to elevate a running application.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Users could see the list of administrator accounts, making it slightly easier for a malicious user who has logged onto a console session to try to crack the passwords of those accounts.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Credential User Interface\Enumerate administrator accounts on elevation

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CredUI.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.15.3 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent the use of security questions for local accounts' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether security questions can be used to reset local account passwords. The security question feature does not apply to domain accounts, only local accounts on the workstation.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Users could establish security questions that are easily guessed or sleuthed by observing the user's social media accounts, making it easier for a malicious actor to change the local user account password and gain access to the computer as that user account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Credential User Interface\Prevent the use of security questions for local accounts

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template CredUI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1903 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Local user accounts will not be able to set up and use security questions to reset their passwords.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.16.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Diagnostic Data' is set to 'Enabled: Diagnostic data off (not recommended)' or 'Enabled: Send required diagnostic data'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the amount of diagnostic and usage data reported to Microsoft:

-

A value of (0) Diagnostic data off (not recommended) Using this value, no diagnostic data is sent from the device. This value is only supported on Enterprise, Education, and Server editions. If you choose this setting, devices in your organization will still be secure.

-

A value of (1) Send required diagnostic data This is the minimum diagnostic data necessary to keep Windows secure, up to date, and performing as expected. Using this value disables the

Optional diagnostic data

control in the Settings app.

-

A value of (3) Send optional diagnostic data Additional diagnostic data is collected that helps us to detect, diagnose and fix issues, as well as make product improvements. Required diagnostic data will always be included when you choose to send optional diagnostic data. Optional diagnostic data can also include diagnostic log files and crash dumps. Use the

Limit Dump Collection

and the

Limit Diagnostic Log Collection

policies for more granular control of what optional diagnostic data is sent.

Windows telemetry settings apply to the Windows operating system and some first party apps. This setting does not apply to third party apps running on Windows 10/11.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Diagnostic data off (not recommended) or Enabled: Send required diagnostic data

Note: If your organization relies on Windows Update, the minimum recommended setting is Required diagnostic data Because no Windows Update information is collected when diagnostic data is off, important information about update failures is not sent. Microsoft uses this information to fix the causes of those failures and improve the quality of updates.

Note #2: The

Configure diagnostic data opt-in settings user interface

group policy can be used to prevent end users from changing their data collection settings.

Note #3: Enhanced diagnostic data setting is not available on Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 and has been replaced with policies that can control the amount of optional diagnostic data that is sent. For more information on these settings visit

Manage diagnostic data using Group Policy and MDM

Sending any data to a third-party vendor is a security concern and should only be done on an as needed basis.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Diagnostic data off (not recommended) or Enabled: Send required diagnostic data :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds\Allow Diagnostic Data

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DataCollection.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow Telemetry

, but it was renamed to

Allow Diagnostic Data

starting with the Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Note that setting values of 0 or 1 will degrade certain experiences on the device.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0 || 1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.16.2 (L2) Ensure 'Configure Authenticated Proxy usage for the Connected User Experience and Telemetry service' is set to 'Enabled: Disable Authenticated Proxy usage'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the Connected User Experience and Telemetry service can automatically use an authenticated proxy to send data back to Microsoft.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Disable Authenticated Proxy usage

Sending any data to a third-party vendor is a security concern and should only be done on an as needed basis.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Disable Authenticated Proxy usage :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds\Configure Authenticated Proxy usage for the Connected User Experience and Telemetry service

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DataCollection.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The Connected User Experience and Telemetry service will be blocked from automatically using an authenticated proxy.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.16.3 (L1) Ensure 'Disable OneSettings Downloads' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Windows attempts to connect with the OneSettings service to download configuration settings.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Sending data to a third-party vendor is a security concern and should only be done on an as-needed basis.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds\Disable OneSettings Downloads

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DataCollection.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows will not connect to the OneSettings service to download configuration settings.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.6
800-171 3.14.7
800-171R3 03.14.06
800-53 SI-4
800-53R5 SI-4
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(f)
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF DE.AE-2
CSF DE.AE-3
CSF DE.AE-4
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-5
CSF DE.CM-6
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF DE.DP-2
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.IP-8
CSF RS.AN-1
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF2.0 DE.AE-02
CSF2.0 DE.AE-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-06
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ITSG-33 SI-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.16.4 (L1) Ensure 'Do not show feedback notifications' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows an organization to prevent its devices from showing feedback questions from Microsoft.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Users should not be sending any feedback to third-party vendors in an enterprise managed environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds\Do not show feedback notifications

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template FeedbackNotifications.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will no longer see feedback notifications through the Windows Feedback app.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.16.5 (L1) Ensure 'Enable OneSettings Auditing' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Windows records attempts to connect with the OneSettings service to the Event Log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds\Enable OneSettings Auditing

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DataCollection.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows will record attempts to connect with the OneSettings service to the Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\Privacy-Auditing\Operational Event Log channel.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.16.6 (L1) Ensure 'Limit Diagnostic Log Collection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether additional diagnostic logs are collected when more information is needed to troubleshoot a problem on the device.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Diagnostic logs are only sent when the device has been configured to send optional diagnostic data. Diagnostic data is limited when recommendation Allow Diagnostic Data is set to Enabled: Diagnostic data off (not recommended) or Enabled: Send required diagnostic data to send only basic information.

Sending data to a third-party vendor is a security concern and should only be done on an as-needed basis.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds\Limit Diagnostic Log Collection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DataCollection.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Diagnostic logs and information such as crash dumps will not be collected for transmission to Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.16.7 (L1) Ensure 'Limit Dump Collection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting limits the type of memory dumps that can be collected when more information is needed to troubleshoot a problem.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Memory dumps are only sent when the device has been configured to send optional diagnostic data. Diagnostic data is limited when recommendation Allow Diagnostic Data is set to Enabled: Diagnostic data off (not recommended) or Enabled: Send required diagnostic data to send only basic information.

Memory dumps can contain sensitive information. Sending this data to a third-party vendor is a security concern and should only be done on an as-needed basis.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds\Limit Dump Collection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DataCollection.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows Error Reporting is limited to sending kernel mini and user mode triage memory dumps, reducing the risk of sending sensitive information to Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-53 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-2
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.17.1 (L1) Ensure 'Download Mode' is NOT set to 'Enabled: Internet'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies the download method that Delivery Optimization can use in downloads of Windows Updates, Apps and App updates. The following methods are supported:

- 0 = HTTP only, no peering.
- 1 = HTTP blended with peering behind the same NAT.
- 2 = HTTP blended with peering across a private group. Peering occurs on devices in the same Active Directory Site (if exist) or the same domain by default. When this option is selected, peering will cross NATs. To create a custom group use Group ID in combination with Mode 2.
- 3 = HTTP blended with Internet Peering.
- 99 = Simple download mode with no peering. Delivery Optimization downloads using HTTP only and does not attempt to contact the Delivery Optimization cloud services.
- 100 = Bypass mode. Do not use Delivery Optimization and use BITS instead.

The recommended state for this setting is any value EXCEPT: Enabled: Internet (3)

Note: The default on all SKUs other than Enterprise, Enterprise LTSB or Education is Enabled: Internet (3) so on other SKUs, be sure to set this to a different value.

Note #2: The option 100 = Bypass mode is deprecated for Windows 11 and can cause some content downloads to fail.

Due to privacy concerns and security risks, updates should only be downloaded directly from Microsoft, or from a trusted machine on the internal network that received

its

updates from a trusted source and approved by the network administrator.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to any value

other than

Enabled: Internet (3) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Delivery Optimization\Download Mode

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeliveryOptimization.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Machines will not be able to download updates from peers on the Internet. If set to Enabled: HTTP only (0) Enabled: Simple (99) or Enabled: Bypass (100) machines will not be able to download updates from other machines on the same LAN.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0 || 1 || 2 || 99 || 100
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.18.1 (L2) Ensure 'Enable App Installer' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether standard users have access to the Windows Package Manager. Windows Package Manager is a package manager solution that consists of a command line tool and set of services for installing applications on Microsoft Windows 10 and 11.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Windows Package Manager is a command line tool can be used to discover, install, upgrade, remove and configure applications, and it can be used as a distribution channel for software packages containing tools and applications. Users should not have access to these types of development tools.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop App Installer\Enable App Installer

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DesktopAppInstaller.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not have access to the command line tool, winget to discover, install, upgrade, remove, configure, or distribute applications.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.18.2 (L1) Ensure 'Enable App Installer Experimental Features' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether users can enable experimental features in the Windows Package Manager.

The recommended state for this setting is Disabled

Windows Package Manager is a command line tool can be used to discover, install, upgrade, remove and configure applications, and it can be used as a distribution channel for software packages containing tools and applications. Users should not have access to experimental features.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop App Installer\Enable App Installer Experimental Features

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DesktopAppInstaller.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not have access to experimental features in the command line tool, winget to discover, install, upgrade, remove, configure, or distribute applications.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.18.3 (L1) Ensure 'Enable App Installer Hash Override' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether or not users can override the SHA256 security validation in the Windows Package Manager settings.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Users should not have the ability to override SHA256 security validation.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop App Installer\Enable App Installer Hash Override

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DesktopAppInstaller.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not have the ability to override the SHA256 security validation.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.18.4 (L1) Ensure 'Enable App Installer Local Archive Malware Scan Override' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the ability to override malware scans when the following conditions are true:

- installing an archive file
- using a local manifest
- via command line arguments

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Users should not have the ability to override malware scans.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop App Installer\Enable App Installer Local Archive Malware Scan Override

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DesktopAppInstaller.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not have the ability to override malware scans when installing an archived file.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.18.5 (L1) Ensure 'Enable App Installer Microsoft Store Source Certificate Validation Bypass' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Windows Package Manager validates the Microsoft Store certificate hash to match a known Microsoft Store certificate when it initiates a connection to the Microsoft Store source.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

It is important to validate that the Microsoft Store source is not spoofed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Enable App Installer Microsoft Store Source Certificate Validation Bypass

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DesktopAppInstaller.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Source certificate validation by Windows Package Manager cannot be bypassed when a connection is initiated to the Microsoft Store.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.18.6 (L1) Ensure 'Enable App Installer ms-appinstaller protocol' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether users can install packages from a website that is using the ms-appinstaller protocol. The ms-appinstaller protocol allows users to install an application by clicking a link on a website.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Users should not have the ability to install an application by clicking a link on a website. If an unknown or malicious link is clicked, malicious software could be installed on the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop App Installer\Enable App Installer ms-appinstaller protocol

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DesktopAppInstaller.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not have the ability to use the ms-appinstaller protocol to install applications by clicking a link on a website.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.18.7 (L2) Ensure 'Enable Windows Package Manager command line interfaces' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether a user can perform actions using the Windows Package Manager through a command line interface (Windows CLI or PowerShell).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: This policy does not override the

Enable App Installer

policy, which is set to Disabled in the L2 profile of the CIS Windows Operating System Benchmarks.

Windows Package Manager is a command line tool can be used to discover, install, upgrade, remove and configure applications. It can also be used as a distribution channel for software packages containing tools and applications. Users should not have access to these types of development tools.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop App Installer\Enable Windows Package Manager command line interfaces

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DesktopAppInstaller.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not have the ability to use Windows Package Manager with Windows CLI or PowerShell.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.26.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Application: Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Old events may or may not be retained according to the

Backup log automatically when full

policy setting.

If new events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\Application\Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Retain old events

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'0'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
18.10.26.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Application: Specify the maximum log file size (KB)' is set to 'Enabled: 32,768 or greater'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies the maximum size of the log file in kilobytes. The maximum log file size can be configured between 1 megabyte (1,024 kilobytes) and 4 terabytes (4,194,240 kilobytes) in kilobyte increments.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 32,768 or greater

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 32,768 or greater :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\Application\Specify the maximum log file size (KB)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Maximum Log Size (KB)

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

When event logs fill to capacity, they will stop recording information unless the retention method for each is set so that the computer will overwrite the oldest entries with the most recent ones. To mitigate the risk of loss of recent data, you can configure the retention method so that older events are overwritten as needed.

The consequence of this configuration is that older events will be removed from the logs. Attackers can take advantage of such a configuration, because they can generate a large number of extraneous events to overwrite any evidence of their attack. These risks can be somewhat reduced if you automate the archival and backup of event log data.

Ideally, all specifically monitored events should be sent to a server that uses Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) or some other automated monitoring tool. Such a configuration is particularly important because an attacker who successfully compromises a server could clear the Security log. If all events are sent to a monitoring server, then you will be able to gather forensic information about the attacker's activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[32768..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.26.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Security: Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Old events may or may not be retained according to the

Backup log automatically when full

policy setting.

If new events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\Security\Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Retain old events

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'0'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
18.10.26.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Security: Specify the maximum log file size (KB)' is set to 'Enabled: 196,608 or greater'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies the maximum size of the log file in kilobytes. The maximum log file size can be configured between 1 megabyte (1,024 kilobytes) and 4 terabytes (4,194,240 kilobytes) in kilobyte increments.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 196,608 or greater

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 196,608 or greater :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\Security\Specify the maximum log file size (KB)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Maximum Log Size (KB)

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

When event logs fill to capacity, they will stop recording information unless the retention method for each is set so that the computer will overwrite the oldest entries with the most recent ones. To mitigate the risk of loss of recent data, you can configure the retention method so that older events are overwritten as needed.

The consequence of this configuration is that older events will be removed from the logs. Attackers can take advantage of such a configuration, because they can generate a large number of extraneous events to overwrite any evidence of their attack. These risks can be somewhat reduced if you automate the archival and backup of event log data.

Ideally, all specifically monitored events should be sent to a server that uses Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) or some other automated monitoring tool. Such a configuration is particularly important because an attacker who successfully compromises a server could clear the Security log. If all events are sent to a monitoring server, then you will be able to gather forensic information about the attacker's activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[196608..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.26.3.1 (L1) Ensure 'Setup: Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Old events may or may not be retained according to the

Backup log automatically when full

policy setting.

If new events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\Setup\Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Retain old events

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'0'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
18.10.26.3.2 (L1) Ensure 'Setup: Specify the maximum log file size (KB)' is set to 'Enabled: 32,768 or greater'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies the maximum size of the log file in kilobytes. The maximum log file size can be configured between 1 megabyte (1,024 kilobytes) and 4 terabytes (4,194,240 kilobytes) in kilobyte increments.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 32,768 or greater

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 32,768 or greater :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\Setup\Specify the maximum log file size (KB)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Maximum Log Size (KB)

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

When event logs fill to capacity, they will stop recording information unless the retention method for each is set so that the computer will overwrite the oldest entries with the most recent ones. To mitigate the risk of loss of recent data, you can configure the retention method so that older events are overwritten as needed.

The consequence of this configuration is that older events will be removed from the logs. Attackers can take advantage of such a configuration, because they can generate a large number of extraneous events to overwrite any evidence of their attack. These risks can be somewhat reduced if you automate the archival and backup of event log data.

Ideally, all specifically monitored events should be sent to a server that uses Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) or some other automated monitoring tool. Such a configuration is particularly important because an attacker who successfully compromises a server could clear the Security log. If all events are sent to a monitoring server, then you will be able to gather forensic information about the attacker's activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[32768..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.26.4.1 (L1) Ensure 'System: Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Old events may or may not be retained according to the

Backup log automatically when full

policy setting.

If new events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\System\Control Event Log behavior when the log file reaches its maximum size

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Retain old events

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'0'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
18.10.26.4.2 (L1) Ensure 'System: Specify the maximum log file size (KB)' is set to 'Enabled: 32,768 or greater'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies the maximum size of the log file in kilobytes. The maximum log file size can be configured between 1 megabyte (1,024 kilobytes) and 4 terabytes (4,194,240 kilobytes) in kilobyte increments.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 32,768 or greater

If events are not recorded it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 32,768 or greater :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Event Log Service\System\Specify the maximum log file size (KB)

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template EventLog.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Maximum Log Size (KB)

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

When event logs fill to capacity, they will stop recording information unless the retention method for each is set so that the computer will overwrite the oldest entries with the most recent ones. To mitigate the risk of loss of recent data, you can configure the retention method so that older events are overwritten as needed.

The consequence of this configuration is that older events will be removed from the logs. Attackers can take advantage of such a configuration, because they can generate a large number of extraneous events to overwrite any evidence of their attack. These risks can be somewhat reduced if you automate the archival and backup of event log data.

Ideally, all specifically monitored events should be sent to a server that uses Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) or some other automated monitoring tool. Such a configuration is particularly important because an attacker who successfully compromises a server could clear the Security log. If all events are sent to a monitoring server, then you will be able to gather forensic information about the attacker's activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[32768..4294967295]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.29.2 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off account-based insights, recent, favorite, and recommended files in File Explorer' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures whether File Explorer can request cloud file metadata and display it in the homepage and other views in File Explorer (such as Quick access view).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a high security environment, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer\Turn off account-based insights, recent, favorite, and recommended files in File Explorer

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Explorer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Note #2: In the Windows 11 Release 22H2 v1.0 and v3.0 Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Turn off files from Office.com in Quick access view

. It was renamed to

Turn off account-based insights, recent, favorite, and recommended files in File Explorer

starting with the Windows 11 Release 23H2 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Insights and files available based on account activity will not be available in views such as Recent, Recommended, Favorites, etc.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.29.3 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Data Execution Prevention for Explorer' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Disabling Data Execution Prevention can allow certain legacy plug-in applications to function without terminating Explorer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Some legacy plug-in applications and other software may not function with Data Execution Prevention and will require an exception to be defined for that specific plug-in/software.

Data Execution Prevention is an important security feature supported by Explorer that helps to limit the impact of certain types of malware.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer\Turn off Data Execution Prevention for Explorer

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Explorer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.29.4 (L1) Ensure 'Do not apply the Mark of the Web tag to files copied from insecure sources' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether files that are sourced from insecure locations are tagged with Mark of the Web (MOTW).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

MOTW is an important security feature that ensures files from insecure locations are treated with extra caution and are tagged with MOTW. If files are left untagged, users and computers could be exposed to security risks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer\Do not apply the Mark of the Web tag to files copied from insecure sources

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Explorer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.29.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off heap termination on corruption' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Without heap termination on corruption, legacy plug-in applications may continue to function when a File Explorer session has become corrupt. Ensuring that heap termination on corruption is active will prevent this.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Allowing an application to function after its session has become corrupt increases the risk posture to the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer\Turn off heap termination on corruption

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Explorer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.29.6 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off shell protocol protected mode' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to configure the amount of functionality that the shell protocol can have. When using the full functionality of this protocol, applications can open folders and launch files. The protected mode reduces the functionality of this protocol allowing applications to only open a limited set of folders. Applications are not able to open files with this protocol when it is in the protected mode. It is recommended to leave this protocol in the protected mode to increase the security of Windows.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Limiting the opening of files and folders to a limited set reduces the attack surface of the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer\Turn off shell protocol protected mode

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsExplorer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.37.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off location' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting turns off the location feature for the computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This setting affects the location feature (e.g. GPS or other location tracking). From a security perspective, it's not a good idea to reveal your location to software in most cases, but there are legitimate uses, such as mapping software. However, they should not be used in high security environments.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Location and Sensors\Turn off location

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Sensors.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The location feature is turned off, and all programs on the computer are prevented from using location information from the location feature.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.41.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow Message Service Cloud Sync' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows backup and restore of cellular text messages to Microsoft's cloud services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Messaging\Allow Message Service Cloud Sync

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Messaging.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Cellular text messages will not be backed up to (or restored from) Microsoft's cloud services.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.42.1 (L1) Ensure 'Block all consumer Microsoft account user authentication' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting determines whether applications and services on the device can utilize new consumer Microsoft account authentication via the Windows OnlineID and WebAccountManager APIs.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Organizations that want to effectively implement identity management policies and maintain firm control of what accounts are used on their computers will probably want to block Microsoft accounts. Organizations may also need to block Microsoft accounts in order to meet the requirements of compliance standards that apply to their information systems.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft accounts\Block all consumer Microsoft account user authentication

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template MSAPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

All applications and services on the device will be prevented from

new

authentications using consumer Microsoft accounts via the Windows OnlineID and WebAccountManager APIs. Authentications performed directly by the user in web browsers or in apps that use OAuth will remain unaffected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(1)
800-53R5 AC-2(1)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CSCV7 16.8
CSCV8 5.6
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2(1)
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SS14e
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.4.1 (L1) Ensure 'Enable EDR in block mode' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Microsoft Defender Antivirus Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is enabled in block mode (passive remediation).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: EDR in block mode is only available in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2.

Note #2: This setting is available with Microsoft Defender Antivirus platform release v4.18.2202.X and newer.

When Microsoft Defender Antivirus is not the primary antivirus product and is running in passive mode, EDR in block mode provides added protection against malicious artifacts.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Features\Enable EDR in block mode

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

If Microsoft Defender Antivirus is running EDR will be enabled in block mode. If the system does not have Microsoft Defender Antivirus installed and running, then this setting will have no effect.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.5.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure local setting override for reporting to Microsoft MAPS' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures a local override for the configuration to join Microsoft Active Protection Service (MAPS), which Microsoft renamed to

Windows Defender Antivirus Cloud Protection Service

and then

Microsoft Defender Antivirus Cloud Protection Service

.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

The decision on whether or not to participate in Microsoft MAPS / Microsoft Defender Antivirus Cloud Protection Service for malicious software reporting should be made centrally in an enterprise managed environment, so that all computers within it behave consistently in that regard. Configuring this setting to Disabled ensures that the decision remains centrally managed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\MAPS\Configure local setting override for reporting to Microsoft MAPS

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.6.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the state for the Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Attack surface reduction helps prevent actions and apps that are typically used by exploit-seeking malware to infect machines.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard\Attack Surface Reduction\Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

When a rule is triggered, a notification will be displayed from the Action Center.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.6.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules: Set the state for each ASR rule' is configured
-
Info
This policy setting sets the Attack Surface Reduction rules.

The recommended state for this setting is:

26190899-1602-49e8-8b27-eb1d0a1ce869 - 1 (Block Office communication application from creating child processes)

3b576869-a4ec-4529-8536-b80a7769e899 - 1 (Block Office applications from creating executable content)

56a863a9-875e-4185-98a7-b882c64b5ce5 - 1 (Block abuse of exploited vulnerable signed drivers)

5beb7efe-fd9a-4556-801d-275e5ffc04cc - 1 (Block execution of potentially obfuscated scripts)

75668c1f-73b5-4cf0-bb93-3ecf5cb7cc84 - 1 (Block Office applications from injecting code into other processes)

7674ba52-37eb-4a4f-a9a1-f0f9a1619a2c - 1 (Block Adobe Reader from creating child processes)

92e97fa1-2edf-4476-bdd6-9dd0b4dddc7b - 1 (Block Win32 API calls from Office macro)

9e6c4e1f-7d60-472f-ba1a-a39ef669e4b2 - 1 (Block credential stealing from the Windows local security authority subsystem (lsass.exe))

b2b3f03d-6a65-4f7b-a9c7-1c7ef74a9ba4 - 1 (Block untrusted and unsigned processes that run from USB)

be9ba2d9-53ea-4cdc-84e5-9b1eeee46550 - 1 (Block executable content from email client and webmail)

d3e037e1-3eb8-44c8-a917-57927947596d - 1 (Block JavaScript or VBScript from launching downloaded executable content)

d4f940ab-401b-4efc-aadc-ad5f3c50688a - 1 (Block Office applications from creating child processes)

e6db77e5-3df2-4cf1-b95a-636979351e5b - 1 (Block persistence through WMI event subscription)

Note: More information on ASR rules can be found at the following link:

Use Attack surface reduction rules to prevent malware infection | Microsoft Docs

Attack surface reduction helps prevent actions and apps that are typically used by exploit-seeking malware to infect machines.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path so that 26190899-1602-49e8-8b27-eb1d0a1ce869 3b576869-a4ec-4529-8536-b80a7769e899 56a863a9-875e-4185-98a7-b882c64b5ce5 5beb7efe-fd9a-4556-801d-275e5ffc04cc 75668c1f-73b5-4cf0-bb93-3ecf5cb7cc84 7674ba52-37eb-4a4f-a9a1-f0f9a1619a2c 92e97fa1-2edf-4476-bdd6-9dd0b4dddc7b 9e6c4e1f-7d60-472f-ba1a-a39ef669e4b2 b2b3f03d-6a65-4f7b-a9c7-1c7ef74a9ba4 be9ba2d9-53ea-4cdc-84e5-9b1eeee46550 d3e037e1-3eb8-44c8-a917-57927947596d d4f940ab-401b-4efc-aadc-ad5f3c50688a and e6db77e5-3df2-4cf1-b95a-636979351e5b are each set to a value of 1 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard\Attack Surface Reduction\Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules: Set the state for each ASR rule

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

When a rule is triggered, a notification will be displayed from the Action Center.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - 3b576869-a4ec-4529-8536-b80a7769e899:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - 9e6c4e1f-7d60-472f-ba1a-a39ef669e4b2:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - 7674ba52-37eb-4a4f-a9a1-f0f9a1619a2c:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - 56a863a9-875e-4185-98a7-b882c64b5ce5:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - d4f940ab-401b-4efc-aadc-ad5f3c50688a:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - e6db77e5-3df2-4cf1-b95a-636979351e5b:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - 92e97fa1-2edf-4476-bdd6-9dd0b4dddc7b:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - d3e037e1-3eb8-44c8-a917-57927947596d:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - 5beb7efe-fd9a-4556-801d-275e5ffc04cc:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - 26190899-1602-49e8-8b27-eb1d0a1ce869:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - b2b3f03d-6a65-4f7b-a9c7-1c7ef74a9ba4:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - be9ba2d9-53ea-4cdc-84e5-9b1eeee46550:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'


-------------------------
FAILED - 75668c1f-73b5-4cf0-bb93-3ecf5cb7cc84:
Remote value: ''
Policy value: '1'
18.10.43.6.3.1 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent users and apps from accessing dangerous websites' is set to 'Enabled: Block'
-
Info
This policy setting controls Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard network protection.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Block

This setting can help prevent employees from using any application to access dangerous domains that may host phishing scams, exploit-hosting sites, and other malicious content on the Internet.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Block :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender Antivirus\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\Network Protection\Prevent users and apps from accessing dangerous websites

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users and applications will not be able to access dangerous domains.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.1
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7(3)
800-53 SC-7(4)
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SC-7(3)
800-53R5 SC-7(4)
800-53R5 SI-16
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 7.4
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 9.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7(3)
ITSG-33 SC-7(4)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.4
NIAV2 GS1
NIAV2 GS2a
NIAV2 GS2b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 1.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
TBA-FIISB 44.1.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.7.1 (L1) Ensure 'Enable file hash computation feature' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting determines whether hash values are computed for files scanned by Microsoft Defender.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When running an antivirus solution such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, it is important to ensure that it is configured to monitor for suspicious and known malicious activity. File hashes are a reliable way of detecting changes to files, and can speed up the scan process by skipping files that have not changed since they were last scanned and determined to be safe. A changed file hash can also be cause for additional scrutiny.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\MpEngine\Enable file hash computation feature

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

This setting could cause performance degradation during initial deployment and for users where new executable content is frequently being created (such as software developers), or where applications are frequently installed or updated.

For more information on this setting, please visit

Security baseline (FINAL): Windows 10 and Windows Server, version 2004 - Microsoft Tech Community - 1543631

.

Note: The impact of this setting should be monitored closely during deployment to ensure user and system performance impact is within acceptable limits.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.8.1 (L2) Ensure 'Convert warn verdict to block' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Microsoft Defender Antivirus network protection will display a warning, or block network traffic.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Potentially suspicious network traffic should be blocked until it has been reviewed, and an exception has been granted.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Network Inspection System\Convert warn verdict to block

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Legitimate network traffic could be blocked by Microsoft Defender Antivirus network protection.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.10.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure real-time protection and Security Intelligence Updates during OOBE' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures whether Real-time Protection and Security Intelligence Updates are enabled during the Out of Box experience (OOBE).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Critical Windows zero-day patch updates should be applied during OOBE to help mitigate against malicious attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Real-Time Protection\Configure real-time protection and Security Intelligence Updates during OOBE

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.10.2 (L1) Ensure 'Scan all downloaded files and attachments' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures scanning for all downloaded files and attachments.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When running an antivirus solution such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, it is important to ensure that it is configured to heuristically monitor in real-time for suspicious and known malicious activity.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Real-Time Protection\Scan all downloaded files and attachments

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.10.3 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off real-time protection' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures real-time protection prompts for known malware detection.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus alerts you when malware or potentially unwanted software attempts to install itself or to run on your computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

When running an antivirus solution such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, it is important to ensure that it is configured to heuristically monitor in real-time for suspicious and known malicious activity.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Real-Time Protection\Turn off real-time protection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.10.4 (L1) Ensure 'Turn on behavior monitoring' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to configure behavior monitoring for Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When running an antivirus solution such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, it is important to ensure that it is configured to heuristically monitor in real-time for suspicious and known malicious activity.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Real-Time Protection\Turn on behavior monitoring

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.6
800-171 3.14.7
800-171R3 03.14.06
800-53 SI-4
800-53R5 SI-4
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(f)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.7
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF DE.AE-2
CSF DE.AE-3
CSF DE.AE-4
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-5
CSF DE.CM-6
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF DE.DP-2
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.IP-8
CSF RS.AN-1
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF2.0 DE.AE-02
CSF2.0 DE.AE-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-06
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ITSG-33 SI-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.10.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn on script scanning' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows script scanning to be turned on/off. Script scanning intercepts scripts then scans them before they are executed on the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When running an antivirus solution such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, it is important to ensure that it is configured to heuristically monitor in real-time for suspicious and known malicious activity.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Real-Time Protection\Turn on script scanning

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.6
800-171 3.14.7
800-171R3 03.14.06
800-53 SI-4
800-53R5 SI-4
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(f)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.7
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF DE.AE-2
CSF DE.AE-3
CSF DE.AE-4
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-5
CSF DE.CM-6
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF DE.DP-2
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.IP-8
CSF RS.AN-1
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF2.0 DE.AE-02
CSF2.0 DE.AE-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-06
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ITSG-33 SI-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.11.1.1.1 (L2) Ensure 'Configure Brute-Force Protection aggressiveness' is set to 'Enabled: Medium' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting configures whether Brute-Force Protection in Microsoft Defender Antivirus is enabled. Brute-force protection can detect and block attempts to forcibly sign in to a system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Medium Configuring this setting to High also conforms to the benchmark.

This feature can help reduce the likelihood of a successful brute force attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Medium or higher:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Remediation\Behavioral Network Blocks\Brute-Force Protection\Configure Brute-Force Protection aggressiveness

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Some legitimate authentication attempts may be blocked. When set to Medium, blocks will occur when the confidence level is above 99%. When set to High, blocks will occur when confidence level is above 90%.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.11.1.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Remote Encryption Protection Mode' is set to 'Enabled: Audit' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting configures the Brute-Force Protection feature in Microsoft Defender Antivirus. Brute-Force Protection can detect and block attempts to forcibly initiate sign-ins and sessions.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Audit Configuring this setting to Block also conforms to the benchmark.

Note: Configuring the value to either Default or Off does not conform to this benchmark.

Note #2: This setting's name is duplicated in the

Remote Encryption Protection

section, but they configure two different behaviors.

This feature assists with mitigating brute force attempts by detecting and blocking unauthorized sign-ins and sessions.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Audit or higher:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Remediation\Behavioral Network Blocks\Brute-Force Protection\Configure Remote Encryption Protection Mode

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Legitimate sign-ins and sessions could be detected or blocked by this feature if too many failed attempts are detected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.11.1.2.1 (L2) Ensure 'Configure how aggressively Remote Encryption Protection blocks threats' is set to 'Enabled: Medium' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting configures how aggressively Remote Encryption Prevention Protection blocks malicious IP addresses.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Medium or higher. Configuring this setting to High also conforms to the benchmark.

This feature can help reduce the likelihood of users visiting malicious websites.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Medium or higher:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Remediation\Behavioral Network Blocks\Remote Encryption Protection\Configure how aggressively Remote Encryption Protection blocks threats

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Legitimate websites could be blocked by Remote Encryption Prevention Protection. When set to Medium, blocks will occur when the confidence level is above 99%. When set to High, blocks will occur when confidence level is above 90%.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.12.1 (L2) Ensure 'Configure Watson events' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to configure whether or not Watson events are sent.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Watson events are the reports that get sent to Microsoft when a program or service crashes or fails, including the possibility of automatic submission. Preventing this information from being sent can help reduce privacy concerns.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Reporting\Configure Watson events

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Watson events will not be sent to Microsoft automatically when a program or service crashes or fails.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.12.3
800-171R3 03.12.03
800-53 CA-7
800-53R5 CA-7
CSCV7 13.3
CSF DE.AE-2
CSF DE.AE-3
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-2
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-6
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF DE.DP-1
CSF DE.DP-2
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-7
CSF PR.IP-8
CSF RS.AN-1
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 DE.AE-02
CSF2.0 DE.AE-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-02
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-06
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-07
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
GDPR 32.2
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.36
ISO-27001-2022 9.1
ISO-27001-2022 9.3.2
ISO-27001-2022 9.3.3
ITSG-33 CA-7
LEVEL 2A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.3.1
NESA M5.4.1
NESA M6.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.13.1 (L1) Ensure 'Scan excluded files and directories during quick scans' is set to 'Enabled: 1'
-
Info
This policy setting manages whether or not Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans excluded files and directories when running a Quick Scan.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 1

The Real-time Protection feature excludes some files and directories for contextual reasons. This setting ensures that these are scanned during a Quick Scan.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 1 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan\Scan excluded files and directories during quick scans

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

A Quick Scan could take longer when including the contextually excluded files and directories.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.13.2 (L1) Ensure 'Scan packed executables' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting manages whether or not Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans packed executables. Packed executables are executable files that contain compressed code.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Packing executables is a way to compress and create smaller files and can make it difficult to access and analyze the code associated with the executable. This is a common method to obfuscate malicious executables by bad actors.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan\Scan packed executables

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - This is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.8.7
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.08.07
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 MP-7
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 MP-7
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(c)
CSCV7 8.4
CSCV8 10.4
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF PR.PT-2
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.3
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.4.1
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.13.3 (L1) Ensure 'Scan removable drives' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting manages whether or not to scan for malicious software and unwanted software in the contents of removable drives, such as USB flash drives, when running a full scan.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

It is important to ensure that any present removable drives are always included in any type of scan, as removable drives are more likely to contain malicious software brought in to the enterprise managed environment from an external, unmanaged computer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan\Scan removable drives

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Removable drives will be scanned during any type of scan by Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.8.7
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.08.07
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 MP-7
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 MP-7
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(c)
CSCV7 8.4
CSCV8 10.4
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF PR.PT-2
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.8.3.3
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.4.1
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.13.4 (L1) Ensure 'Trigger a quick scan after X days without any scans' is set to 'Enabled: 7'
-
Info
This policy setting configures the number of days after the last scan (of any type) before an aggressive Quick Scan is automatically triggered.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 7 days.

Antivirus scans should be performed on a regular basis so that malicious software can be detected and remediated before malicious activity occurs.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 7 days:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan\Trigger a quick scan after X days without any scans

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

This setting should have no adverse effect on the system.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
7
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.13.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn on e-mail scanning' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures e-mail scanning. When e-mail scanning is enabled, the engine will parse the mailbox and mail files, according to their specific format, in order to analyze the mail bodies and attachments. Several e-mail formats are currently supported, for example: pst (Outlook), dbx, mbx, mime (Outlook Express), binhex (Mac).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Incoming e-mails should be scanned by an antivirus solution such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus, as email attachments are a commonly used attack vector to infiltrate computers with malicious software.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan\Turn on e-mail scanning

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

E-mail scanning by Microsoft Defender Antivirus will be enabled.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.16 (L1) Ensure 'Configure detection for potentially unwanted applications' is set to 'Enabled: Block'
-
Info
This policy setting controls detection and action for Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA), which are sneaky unwanted application bundlers or their bundled applications, that can deliver adware or malware.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Block

For more information, see this link:

Block potentially unwanted applications with Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Microsoft Docs

Potentially unwanted applications can increase the risk of your network being infected with malware, cause malware infections to be harder to identify, and can waste IT resources in cleaning up the applications. They should be blocked from installation.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Block :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Configure detection for potentially unwanted applications

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1809 & Server 2019 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Applications that are identified by Microsoft as PUA will be blocked at download and install time.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 2.7
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.43.17 (L1) Ensure 'Control whether exclusions are visible to local users' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Microsoft Defender Antivirus exclusions are visible to local users on the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Only administrators should be able to view and manage Microsoft Defender Antivirus exclusions.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Control whether exclusions are visible to local users

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Local users will not be able to view Microsoft Defender Antivirus exclusions.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.44.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow auditing events in Microsoft Defender Application Guard' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to decide whether auditing events can be collected from Microsoft Defender Application Guard.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Microsoft Defender Application Guard requires a 64-bit version of Windows and a CPU supporting hardware-assisted CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). This feature is not officially supported on virtual hardware, although it can work on VMs (especially for testing) provided that the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature is exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

System requirements for Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

Auditing of Microsoft Defender Application Guard events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Application Guard\Allow auditing events in Microsoft Defender Application Guard

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppHVSI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow auditing events in Windows Defender Application Guard

, but it was renamed to

Allow auditing events in Microsoft Defender Application Guard

starting with the Windows 10 Release 2004 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Microsoft Defender Application Guard will inherit its auditing policies from Microsoft Edge and start to audit system events specifically for Microsoft Defender Application Guard. Collected logs are available for review on Microsoft Edge, outside of Application Guard.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-2
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSCV7 6.2
CSCV8 8.2
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.44.2 (L1) Ensure 'Allow camera and microphone access in Microsoft Defender Application Guard' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
The policy allows you to determine whether applications inside Microsoft Defender Application Guard can access the device's camera and microphone.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Microsoft Defender Application Guard requires a 64-bit version of Windows and a CPU supporting hardware-assisted CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). This feature is not officially supported on virtual hardware, although it can work on VMs (especially for testing) provided that the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature is exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

System requirements for Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

In effort to stop sensitive information from being obtained for malicious use, untrusted sites within the Microsoft Defender Application Guard container should not be accessing the computers microphone or camera.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Application Guard\Allow camera and microphone access in Microsoft Defender Application Guard

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppHVSI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1809 & Server 2019 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow camera and microphone access in Windows Defender Application Guard

, but it was renamed to

Allow camera and microphone access in Microsoft Defender Application Guard

starting with the Windows 10 Release 2004 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

This is the default value so impact should be minimal to enforce this setting.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.44.3 (L1) Ensure 'Allow data persistence for Microsoft Defender Application Guard' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to decide whether data should persist across different sessions in Microsoft Defender Application Guard.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Microsoft Defender Application Guard requires a 64-bit version of Windows and a CPU supporting hardware-assisted CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). This feature is not officially supported on virtual hardware, although it can work on VMs (especially for testing) provided that the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature is exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

System requirements for Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

The primary purpose of Microsoft Defender Application Guard is to present a 'sandboxed container' for visiting untrusted websites. If data persistence is allowed, then it reduces the effectiveness of the sandboxing, and malicious content will be able to remain active in the Microsoft Defender Application Guard container between sessions.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Application Guard\Allow data persistence for Microsoft Defender Application Guard

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppHVSI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow data persistence for Windows Defender Application Guard

, but it was renamed to

Allow data persistence for Microsoft Defender Application Guard

starting with the Windows 10 Release 2004 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.44.4 (L1) Ensure 'Allow files to download and save to the host operating system from Microsoft Defender Application Guard' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether to save downloaded files to the host operating system from the Microsoft Defender Application Guard container.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Microsoft Defender Application Guard requires a 64-bit version of Windows and a CPU supporting hardware-assisted CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). This feature is not officially supported on virtual hardware, although it can work on VMs (especially for testing) provided that the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature is exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

System requirements for Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

The primary purpose of Microsoft Defender Application Guard is to present a 'sandboxed container'. Potentially malicious files should not be copied to the host OS from the sandboxed environment, which could put the host at risk.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Application Guard\Allow files to download and save to the host operating system from Microsoft Defender Application Guard

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppHVSI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1803 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow files to download and save to the host operating system from Windows Defender Application Guard

, but it was renamed to

Allow files to download and save to the host operating system from Microsoft Defender Application Guard

starting with the Windows 10 Release 2004 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.44.5 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Microsoft Defender Application Guard clipboard settings: Clipboard behavior setting' is set to 'Enabled: Enable clipboard operation from an isolated session to the host'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to decide how the clipboard behaves while in Microsoft Defender Application Guard.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Enable clipboard operation from an isolated session to the host

Note: Microsoft Defender Application Guard requires a 64-bit version of Windows and a CPU supporting hardware-assisted CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). This feature is not officially supported on virtual hardware, although it can work on VMs (especially for testing) provided that the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature is exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

System requirements for Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

The primary purpose of Microsoft Defender Application Guard is to present a 'sandboxed container' for visiting untrusted websites. If the host clipboard is made available to Microsoft Defender Application Guard, a compromised Microsoft Defender Application Guard session will have access to its content, potentially exposing sensitive information to a malicious website or application. However, the risk is reduced if the Microsoft Defender Application Guard clipboard is made accessible to the host, and indeed that functionality may often be necessary from an operational standpoint.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Enable clipboard operation from an isolated session to the host

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Application Guard\Configure Microsoft Defender Application Guard clipboard settings: Clipboard behavior setting

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppHVSI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Configure Windows Defender Application Guard clipboard settings: Clipboard behavior setting

, but it was renamed to

Configure Microsoft Defender Application Guard clipboard settings: Clipboard behavior setting

starting with the Windows 10 Release 2004 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Microsoft Defender Application Guard sessions will not be able to access the host device's clipboard, however the host device will be able to access the Microsoft Defender Application Guard session clipboard.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.44.6 (L1) Ensure 'Turn on Microsoft Defender Application Guard in Managed Mode' is set to 'Enabled: 1'
-
Info
This policy setting enables application isolation through Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Application Guard).

There are 4 options available:

- <xhtml:ol start='0'> - Disable Microsoft Defender Application Guard

-
- Enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge ONLY

- <xhtml:ol start='2'> - Enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Office ONLY

- <xhtml:ol start='3'> - Enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge AND Microsoft Office

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 1 (Enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Microsoft Edge ONLY).

Note: Microsoft Defender Application Guard requires a 64-bit version of Windows and a CPU supporting hardware-assisted CPU virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). This feature is not officially supported on virtual hardware, although it can work on VMs (especially for testing) provided that the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature is exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

System requirements for Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: At time of publication, Microsoft Defender Application Guard in all currently released versions of Windows 10 does not yet support protection for Microsoft Office, only for Microsoft Edge. Therefore the additional available options of 2 and 3 in this setting are not yet valid.

Note #3: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

Microsoft Defender Application Guard uses Windows Hypervisor to create a virtualized environment for apps that are configured to use virtualization-based security isolation. While in isolation, improper user interactions and app vulnerabilities can't compromise the kernel or any other apps running outside of the virtualized environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 1 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Application Guard\Turn on Microsoft Defender Application Guard in Managed Mode

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AppHVSI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Turn on Windows Defender Application Guard in Enterprise Mode

, but it was renamed to

Turn on Windows Defender Application Guard in Managed Mode

starting with the Windows 10 Release 1903 Administrative Templates. It was again renamed to

Turn on Microsoft Defender Application Guard in Managed Mode

starting with the Windows 10 Release 2004 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Microsoft Defender Application Guard will be turned on for Microsoft Edge.

Note: This setting was moved from the Next Generation (NG) profile to the Level 1 (L1) profile for the Windows 11 Operating System only NG profile settings were isolated from the L1 profile due to potential hardware compatibility issues. The Windows 11 Operating System is dependent on the same hardware as the NG settings, so hardware compatibility is no longer an issue.

Note #2: Microsoft Defender Application Guard requires the

Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (SharedAccess)

service in order to operate, so an exception to disabling this service (see Section 5 in the CIS Microsoft Windows 10 benchmark only) will be required if choosing to enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.50.1 (L2) Ensure 'Enable news and interests on the taskbar' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the

news and interests

feature is allowed on the device.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Due to privacy concerns, apps and features such as

news and interests

on the Windows taskbar should be treated as a possible security risk due to the potential of data being sent back to third-parties, such as Microsoft.

In addition, the app may display inappropriate

news and interests

within the feed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\News and interests\Enable news and interests on the taskbar

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Feeds.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 21H1 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The

news and interests

feature on the Windows taskbar will not be available on the device.

Note: At time of benchmark publication, this setting does not hide or disable the taskbar menu options for the

news and interests

feature, however attempting to turn the feature back on does not cause any visible change. It is possible that Microsoft will modify this behavior to 'gray out' the taskbar menu options in a future OS update.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.51.1 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting lets you prevent apps and features from working with files on OneDrive using the Next Generation Sync Client.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Enabling this setting prevents users from accidentally (or intentionally) uploading confidential or sensitive corporate information to the OneDrive cloud service using the Next Generation Sync Client.

Note: This security concern applies to

any

cloud-based file storage application installed on a workstation, not just the one supplied with Windows.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\OneDrive\Prevent the usage of OneDrive for file storage

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template SkyDrive.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer). However, we strongly recommend you only use the version included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer). Older versions of the templates had conflicting settings in different template files for both OneDrive & SkyDrive, until it was cleaned up properly in the above version.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was named

Prevent the usage of SkyDrive for file storage

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users can't access OneDrive from the OneDrive app and file picker. Windows Store apps can't access OneDrive using the WinRT API. OneDrive doesn't appear in the navigation pane in File Explorer. OneDrive files aren't kept in sync with the cloud. Users can't automatically upload photos and videos from the camera roll folder.

Note: If your organization uses Office 365, be aware that this setting will prevent users from saving files to OneDrive/SkyDrive.

Note #2: If your organization has decided to implement OneDrive for Business and therefore needs to except itself from this recommendation, we highly suggest that you also obtain and utilize the OneDrive.admx/adml template that is bundled with the latest OneDrive client, as noted

at this link

(this template is not included with the Windows Administrative Templates). Two alternative OneDrive settings in particular from that template are worth your consideration:

-

Allow syncing OneDrive accounts for only specific organizations

- a computer-based setting that restricts OneDrive client connections to only approved tenant IDs.
-

Prevent users from synchronizing personal OneDrive accounts

- a user-based setting that prevents use of consumer OneDrive (i.e. non-business).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 13.4
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.56.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Push To Install service' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether users can push Apps to the device from the Microsoft Store App running on other devices or the web.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a high security managed environment, application installations should be managed centrally by IT staff, not by end users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Push to Install\Turn off Push To Install service

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template PushToInstall.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to push Apps to this device from the Microsoft Store running on other devices or the web.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.2.2 (L2) Ensure 'Disable Cloud Clipboard integration for server-to-client data transfer' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether data transferred from the remote session to the client using clipboard redirection is added to the client-side cloud clipboard.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In high security environments, clipboard data should stay local to the system and not synced to the cloud as it may contain sensitive information that should be contained locally.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Connection Client\Disable Cloud Clipboard integration for server-to-client data transfer

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Do not allow passwords to be saved' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting helps prevent Remote Desktop clients from saving passwords on a computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: If this policy setting was previously configured as Disabled or Not configured, any previously saved passwords will be deleted the first time a Remote Desktop client disconnects from any server.

An attacker with physical access to the computer may be able to break the protection guarding saved passwords. An attacker who compromises a user's account and connects to their computer could use saved passwords to gain access to additional hosts.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Connection Client\Do not allow passwords to be saved

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

The password saving checkbox will be disabled for Remote Desktop clients and users will not be able to save passwords.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-53 IA-5(13)
800-53R5 IA-5(13)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.2.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to configure remote access to computers by using Remote Desktop Services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Any account with the

Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services

user right can log on to the remote console of the computer. If you do not restrict access to legitimate users who need to log on to the console of the computer, unauthorized users could download and execute malicious code to elevate their privileges.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Connections\Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow users to connect remotely using Terminal Services

, but it was renamed to

Allow users to connect remotely using Remote Desktop Services

in the Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates. It was finally renamed (again) to

Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services

starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default configuration, unless Remote Desktop Services has been manually enabled on the Remote tab in the System Properties sheet.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow UI Automation redirection' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether User Interface (UI) Automation client applications running on the local computer can access UI elements on the server.

UI Automation gives programs access to most UI elements, which allows use of assistive technology products like Magnifier and Narrator that need to interact with the UI in order to work properly. UI information also allows automated test scripts to interact with the UI. For example, the local computer's Narrator and Magnifier clients can be used to interact with UI on a web page opened in a remote session.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Remote Desktop sessions don't currently support UI Automation redirection.

In a more security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface. The need for UI Automation redirection within a Remote Desktop session is rare, and not supported at this time, but it makes sense to reduce the number of unexpected avenues for malicious activity to occur.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Allow UI Automation redirection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

UI Automation clients on the local computer will not be able to interact with remote apps.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.2 (L2) Ensure 'Do not allow COM port redirection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether to prevent the redirection of data to client COM ports from the remote computer in a Remote Desktop Services session.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a more security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface. The need for COM port redirection within a Remote Desktop session is very rare, so makes sense to reduce the number of unexpected avenues for data exfiltration and/or malicious code transfer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Do not allow COM port redirection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users in a Remote Desktop Services session will not be able to redirect server data to local (client) COM ports.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.3 (L1) Ensure 'Do not allow drive redirection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting prevents users from sharing the local drives on their client computers to Remote Desktop Servers that they access. Mapped drives appear in the session folder tree in Windows Explorer in the following format:

\\TSClient\<driveletter>$

If local drives are shared they are left vulnerable to intruders who want to exploit the data that is stored on them.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Data could be forwarded from the user's Remote Desktop Services session to the user's local computer without any direct user interaction. Malicious software already present on a compromised server would have direct and stealthy disk access to the user's local computer during the Remote Desktop session.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Do not allow drive redirection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Drive redirection will not be possible. In most situations, traditional network drive mapping to file shares (including administrative shares) performed manually by the connected user will serve as a capable substitute to still allow file transfers when needed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.4 (L2) Ensure 'Do not allow location redirection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the redirection of location data to the remote computer in a Remote Desktop Services session.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a more security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface. The need for location data redirection within a Remote Desktop session is rare, so it makes sense to reduce the number of unexpected avenues for malicious activity to occur.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Do not allow location redirection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to redirect their location data to the remote computer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.5 (L2) Ensure 'Do not allow LPT port redirection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether to prevent the redirection of data to client LPT ports during a Remote Desktop Services session.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a more security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface. The need for LPT port redirection within a Remote Desktop session is very rare, so makes sense to reduce the number of unexpected avenues for data exfiltration and/or malicious code transfer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Do not allow LPT port redirection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users in a Remote Desktop Services session will not be able to redirect server data to local (client) LPT ports.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.6 (L2) Ensure 'Do not allow supported Plug and Play device redirection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to control the redirection of supported Plug and Play devices, such as Windows Portable Devices, to the remote computer in a Remote Desktop Services session.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a more security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface. The need for Plug and Play device redirection within a Remote Desktop session is very rare, so makes sense to reduce the number of unexpected avenues for data exfiltration and/or malicious code transfer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Do not allow supported Plug and Play device redirection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users in a Remote Desktop Services session will not be able to redirect their supported (local client) Plug and Play devices to the remote computer.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.7 (L2) Ensure 'Do not allow WebAuthn redirection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the redirection of web authentication (WebAuthn) requests from a Remote Desktop session to the local device. This redirection enables users to authenticate to resources inside the Remote Desktop session using their local authenticator (e.g. Windows Hello for Business, security key, or other).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In a more security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface. To reduce this, resources inside the Remote Desktop session should not be allowed to use the local authenticator.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Do not allow WebAuthn redirection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Users in a Remote Desktop Services session will not be able to authenticate to resources inside the Remote Desktop session using their local authenticator.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.3.8 (L2) Ensure 'Restrict clipboard transfer from server to client' is set to 'Enabled: Disable clipboard transfers from server to client'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the clipboard can be used to transfer data from the Remote Desktop session to the client.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Disable clipboard transfers from server to client

In a more security-sensitive environment, it is desirable to reduce the possible attack surface. The need for the clipboard to transfer data from a Remote Desktop session to a client is rare, so it makes sense to reduce the number of unexpected avenues for malicious activity to occur.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Disable clipboard transfers from server to client :

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection\Restrict clipboard transfer from server to client

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 23H2 v2.0 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to transfer clipboard data from the Remote Desktop session to the client.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.9.1 (L1) Ensure 'Always prompt for password upon connection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Remote Desktop Services always prompts the client computer for a password upon connection. You can use this policy setting to enforce a password prompt for users who log on to Remote Desktop Services, even if they already provided the password in the Remote Desktop Connection client.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Users have the option to store both their username and password when they create a new Remote Desktop Connection shortcut. If the server that runs Remote Desktop Services allows users who have used this feature to log on to the server but not enter their password, then it is possible that an attacker who has gained physical access to the user's computer could connect to a Remote Desktop Server through the Remote Desktop Connection shortcut, even though they may not know the user's password.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Security\Always prompt for password upon connection

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In the Microsoft Windows Vista Administrative Templates, this setting was named

Always prompt client for password upon connection

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows Server 2008 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users cannot automatically log on to Remote Desktop Services by supplying their passwords in the Remote Desktop Connection client. They will be prompted for a password to log on.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.9.2 (L1) Ensure 'Require secure RPC communication' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to specify whether Remote Desktop Services requires secure Remote Procedure Call (RPC) communication with all clients or allows unsecured communication.

You can use this policy setting to strengthen the security of RPC communication with clients by allowing only authenticated and encrypted requests.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Allowing unsecure RPC communication can exposes the server to man in the middle attacks and data disclosure attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Security\Require secure RPC communication

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Remote Desktop Services accepts requests from RPC clients that support secure requests, and does not allow unsecured communication with untrusted clients.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.9.3 (L1) Ensure 'Require use of specific security layer for remote (RDP) connections' is set to 'Enabled: SSL'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether to require the use of a specific security layer to secure communications between clients and RD Session Host servers during Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: SSL

Note: In spite of this setting being labeled

SSL

, it is actually enforcing Transport Layer Security (TLS), not the older and less secure, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

The native RDP encryption is now considered a weak protocol, so enforcing the use of stronger TLS encryption for all RDP communications between clients and RD Session Host servers is preferred.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: SSL :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Security\Require use of specific security layer for remote (RDP) connections

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

TLS will be required to authenticate to the RD Session Host server. If TLS is not supported, the connection fails.

Note: By default, this setting will use a self-signed certificate for RDP connections. If your organization has established the use of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for SSL/TLS encryption, then we recommend that you also configure the

Server authentication certificate template

setting to instruct RDP to use a certificate from your PKI instead of a self-signed one. Note that the certificate template used for this purpose must have 'Client Authentication' configured as an Intended Purpose. Note also that a valid, non-expired certificate using the specified template must already be installed on the workstation for it to work.

Note #2: Some third party two-factor authentication solutions (e.g. RSA Authentication Agent) can be negatively affected by this setting, as the SSL/TLS security layer will expect the user's Windows password upon initial connection attempt (before the RDP logon screen), and once successfully authenticated, pass the credential along to that Windows session on the RDP host (to complete the login). If a two-factor agent is present and expecting a different credential at the RDP logon screen, this initial connection may result in a failed logon attempt, and also effectively cause a 'double logon' requirement for each and every new RDP session.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.9.4 (L1) Ensure 'Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to specify whether to require user authentication for remote connections to the RD Session Host server by using Network Level Authentication.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Requiring that user authentication occur earlier in the remote connection process enhances security.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Security\Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In the Microsoft Windows Vista Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Require user authentication using RDP 6.0 for remote connections

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows Server 2008 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Only client computers that support Network Level Authentication can connect to the RD Session Host server.

Note: Some third party two-factor authentication solutions (e.g. RSA Authentication Agent) can be negatively affected by this setting, as Network Level Authentication will expect the user's Windows password upon initial connection attempt (before the RDP logon screen), and once successfully authenticated, pass the credential along to that Windows session on the RDP host (to complete the login). If a two-factor agent is present and expecting a different credential at the RDP logon screen, this initial connection may result in a failed logon attempt, and also effectively cause a 'double logon' requirement for each and every new RDP session.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.9.5 (L1) Ensure 'Set client connection encryption level' is set to 'Enabled: High Level'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether to require the use of a specific encryption level to secure communications between client computers and RD Session Host servers during Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections. This policy only applies when you are using native RDP encryption. However, native RDP encryption (as opposed to SSL encryption) is not recommended. This policy does not apply to SSL encryption.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: High Level

If Remote Desktop client connections that use low level encryption are allowed, it is more likely that an attacker will be able to decrypt any captured Remote Desktop Services network traffic.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: High Level :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Security\Set client connection encryption level

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
3
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.10.1 (L2) Ensure 'Set time limit for active but idle Remote Desktop Services sessions' is set to 'Enabled: 15 minutes or less, but not Never (0)'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to specify the maximum amount of time that an active Remote Desktop Services session can be idle (without user input) before it is automatically disconnected.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 15 minutes or less, but not Never (0)

This setting helps to prevent active Remote Desktop sessions from tying up the computer for long periods of time while not in use, preventing computing resources from being consumed by large numbers of inactive sessions. In addition, old, forgotten Remote Desktop sessions that are still active can cause password lockouts if the user's password has changed but the old session is still running. For systems that limit the number of connected users (e.g. servers in the default Administrative mode - 2 sessions only), other users' old but still active sessions can prevent another user from connecting, resulting in an effective denial of service.

In addition, session timeouts that are misconfigured or set for a long period of time can leave the system open to an attacker hijacking the session.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 15 minutes or less, but not Never (0) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Session Time Limits\Set time limit for active but idle Remote Desktop Services sessions

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was named

Set time limit for active but idle Terminal Services sessions

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Remote Desktop Services will automatically disconnect active but idle sessions after 15 minutes (or the specified amount of time). The user receives a warning two minutes before the session disconnects, which allows the user to press a key or move the mouse to keep the session active. Note that idle session time limits do not apply to console sessions.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
[1..900000]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.10.2 (L2) Ensure 'Set time limit for disconnected sessions' is set to 'Enabled: 1 minute'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to configure a time limit for disconnected Remote Desktop Services sessions.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 1 minute

This setting helps to prevent active Remote Desktop sessions from tying up the computer for long periods of time while not in use, preventing computing resources from being consumed by large numbers of disconnected but still active sessions. In addition, old, forgotten Remote Desktop sessions that are still active can cause password lockouts if the user's password has changed but the old session is still running. For systems that limit the number of connected users (e.g. servers in the default Administrative mode - 2 sessions only), other users' old but still active sessions can prevent another user from connecting, resulting in an effective denial of service. This setting is important to ensure a disconnected session is properly terminated.

In addition, session timeouts that are misconfigured or set for a long period of time can leave the system open to an attacker hijacking the session.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 1 minute :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Session Time Limits\Set time limit for disconnected sessions

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Disconnected Remote Desktop sessions are deleted from the server after 1 minute. Note that disconnected session time limits do not apply to console sessions.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
60000
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.57.3.11.1 (L1) Ensure 'Do not delete temp folders upon exit' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Remote Desktop Services retains a user's per-session temporary folders at logoff.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Sensitive information could be contained inside the temporary folders and visible to other administrators that log into the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Temporary Folders\Do not delete temp folders upon exit

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template TerminalServer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was named

Do not delete temp folder upon exit

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171R3 03.03.03b.
800-171R3 03.14.08
800-53 AU-11
800-53 SI-12
800-53R5 AU-11
800-53R5 SI-12
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 3.4
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF2.0 ID.AM-07
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-11
ITSG-33 SI-12
ITSG-33 SI-12a.
LEVEL 1A
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.2.4
NESA M5.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 DR1
NIAV2 DR1a
NIAV2 DR1b
NIAV2 DR1c
NIAV2 DR2
NIAV2 DR3
NIAV2 DR4
NIAV2 DR5
NIAV2 DR6
NIAV2 SM7
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.5.1
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.58.1 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent downloading of enclosures' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting prevents the user from having enclosures (file attachments) downloaded from an RSS feed to the user's computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Allowing attachments to be downloaded through the RSS feed can introduce files that could have malicious intent.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\RSS Feeds\Prevent downloading of enclosures

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template InetRes.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was named

Turn off downloading of enclosures

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users cannot set the Feed Sync Engine to download an enclosure through the Feed property page. Developers cannot change the download setting through feed APIs.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.9
800-171 3.13.13
800-171R3 03.13.13
800-53 CM-10
800-53 CM-11
800-53 SC-18
800-53R5 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-11
800-53R5 SC-18
CSCV7 7.2
CSCV8 9.4
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-5
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 SC-18
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SU3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.58.2 (L1) Ensure 'Turn on Basic feed authentication over HTTP' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether RSS feeds can be authenticated using the Basic authentication scheme over an unencrypted HTTP connection.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: A developer cannot change this setting through the Feed APIs.

Allowing RSS feeds to use Basic authentication over HTTP will transmit user credentials in plain text, where they could be intercepted en route by a malicious user.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\RSS Feeds\Turn on Basic feed authentication over HTTP

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template InetRes.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.9
800-171 3.13.13
800-171R3 03.13.13
800-53 CM-10
800-53 CM-11
800-53 SC-18
800-53R5 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-11
800-53R5 SC-18
CSCV7 7.2
CSCV8 9.4
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-5
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 SC-18
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SU3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.59.3 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Cortana' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether Cortana is allowed on the device.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If Cortana is enabled, sensitive information could be contained in search history and sent out to Microsoft.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search\Allow Cortana

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Search.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Cortana will be turned off. Users will still be able to use search to find things on the device and on the Internet.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.59.4 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Cortana above lock screen' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether or not the user can interact with Cortana using speech while the system is locked.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Access to any computer resource should not be allowed when the device is locked.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search\Allow Cortana above lock screen

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Search.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The system will need to be unlocked for the user to interact with Cortana using speech.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.59.5 (L1) Ensure 'Allow indexing of encrypted files' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether encrypted items are allowed to be indexed. When this setting is changed, the index is rebuilt completely. Full volume encryption (such as BitLocker Drive Encryption or a non-Microsoft solution) must be used for the location of the index to maintain security for encrypted files.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Indexing and allowing users to search encrypted files could potentially reveal confidential data stored within the encrypted files.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search\Allow indexing of encrypted files

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Search.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 14.8
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.59.6 (L1) Ensure 'Allow search and Cortana to use location' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether search and Cortana can provide location aware search and Cortana results.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In an enterprise managed environment, allowing Cortana and Search to have access to location data is unnecessary. Organizations likely do not want this information shared out.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search\Allow search and Cortana to use location

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Search.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Search and Cortana will not have access to location information.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.59.7 (L2) Ensure 'Allow search highlights' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls search highlights in the start menu search box and in search home.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In a high security environment, data should never be sent to or received by any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search\Allow search highlights

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Search.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

'Interesting', 'informative', and 'noteworthy' information about the current date will not be displayed (by Microsoft) to the user.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.63.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off KMS Client Online AVS Validation' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
The Key Management Service (KMS) is a Microsoft license activation method that entails setting up a local server to store the software licenses. The KMS server itself needs to connect to Microsoft to activate the KMS service, but subsequent on-network clients can activate Microsoft Windows OS and/or their Microsoft Office via the KMS server instead of connecting directly to Microsoft. This policy setting lets you opt-out of sending KMS client activation data to Microsoft automatically.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Even though the KMS licensing method does not

require

KMS clients to connect to Microsoft, they still send KMS client activation state data to Microsoft automatically. Preventing this information from being sent can help reduce privacy concerns in high security environments.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Software Protection Platform\Turn off KMS Client Online AVS Validation

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AVSValidationGP.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The computer is prevented from sending data to Microsoft regarding its KMS client activation state.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.66.1 (L2) Ensure 'Disable all apps from Microsoft Store' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting configures the launch of all apps from the Microsoft Store that came pre-installed or were downloaded.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: This policy setting only applies to Windows 10 or later Enterprise and Education editions.

Note #2: The name of this setting and the Enabled/Disabled values are incorrectly worded - logically, the title implies that configuring it to Enabled will disable all apps from the Microsoft Store, and configuring it to Disabled will enable all apps from the Microsoft Store. The opposite is true (and is consistent with the GPME help text). This is a logical wording mistake by Microsoft in the Administrative Template.

The Store service is a retail outlet built into Windows, primarily for consumer use. In an enterprise managed environment the IT department should be managing the installation of all applications to reduce the risk of the installation of vulnerable software.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Store\Disable all apps from Microsoft Store

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsStore.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Disable all apps from Windows Store

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 10 Release 1803 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

All apps from the Microsoft Store that came pre-installed or were downloaded are prevented from launching. Existing Microsoft Store apps will not be updated. Microsoft Store is disabled.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.66.2 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Automatic Download and Install of updates' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting enables or disables the automatic download and installation of Microsoft Store app updates.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Keeping your system properly patched can help protect against 0 day vulnerabilities.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Store\Turn off Automatic Download and Install of updates

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WinStoreUI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates, or by the Group Policy template WindowsStore.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.66.3 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off the offer to update to the latest version of Windows' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
Enables or disables the Microsoft Store offer to update to the latest version of Windows.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Unplanned OS upgrades can lead to more preventable support calls. The IT department should be managing and approving all upgrades and updates.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Store\Turn off the offer to update to the latest version of Windows

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WinStoreUI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates, or by the Group Policy template WindowsStore.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The Microsoft Store application will not offer updates to the latest version of Windows.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.66.4 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off the Store application' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting denies or allows access to the Store application.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note:

Per Microsoft TechNet

and

MSKB 3135657

, this policy setting does not apply to any Windows 10 editions other than Enterprise and Education.

Only applications approved by an IT department should be installed. Allowing users to install third-party applications can lead to missed patches and potential zero day vulnerabilities.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Store\Turn off the Store application

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WinStoreUI.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates, or by the Group Policy template WindowsStore.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Access to the Microsoft Store application is denied.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.72.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow widgets' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether the Widgets feature is allowed on the device. The Widgets feature provides information such as, weather, news, sports, stocks, traffic, and entertainment (not an inclusive list).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Due to privacy concerns, apps and features such as Widgets on the Windows taskbar should be treated as a possible security risk due to the potential of data being sent back to third-parties, such as Microsoft.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Widgets\Allow widgets

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template NewsAndInterests.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The Widgets feature on the Windows taskbar will not be available on the device.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.76.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Automatic Data Collection' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Enhanced Phishing Protection can collect additional information such as content displayed, sounds played, and application memory when users enter their work or school password into a suspicious website or app.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Per Microsoft, this information is used only for security purposes and helps SmartScreen determine whether the website or app is malicious.

Collection of this data assists Microsoft Defender SmartScreen in determining whether the user entered their work or school password into a suspicious website or app.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender SmartScreen\Enhanced Phishing Protection\Automatic Data Collection

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WebThreatDefense.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 23H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Enhanced Phishing Protection may automatically collect additional content for security analysis from a suspicious website or app when users enter their work or school password into a website or app.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.76.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Notify Malicious' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warns users if they type their work or school password into one of the following malicious scenarios: into a reported phishing site, into a Microsoft login URL with an invalid certificate, or into an application connecting to either a reported phishing site or a Microsoft login URL with an invalid certificate.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This setting only applies to Microsoft Accounts (computer or browser login) while using Microsoft Windows 11 and not on-prem domain-joined accounts.

Users will receive a pop-up notification if they try to access a website that is being blocked by Windows Defender SmartScreen. This assists users in making informed decisions about why the website is being blocked and whether to continue to it.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender SmartScreen\Enhanced Phishing Protection\Notify Malicious

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WebThreatDefense.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

In some cases, Windows Defender SmartScreen may block legitimate websites, that have been incorrectly flagged by Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.76.1.3 (L1) Ensure 'Notify Password Reuse' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warns users if they reuse their work or school password.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This setting only applies to Microsoft Accounts (computer or browser login) while using Microsoft Windows 11 and not on prem domain-joined accounts.

Users will be alerted if they try to use a password that has been exposed in a known data breach. This can help reduce the risk of password-related security incidents, such as unauthorized access to online accounts, and can encourage users to choose strong and unique passwords.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender SmartScreen\Enhanced Phishing Protection\Notify Password Reuse

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WebThreatDefense.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Password reuse may be detected as a false positive by Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.76.1.4 (L1) Ensure 'Notify Unsafe App' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Enhanced Phishing Protection in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warns users if they type their work or school passwords in Notepad, WordPad, or M365 Office apps like OneNote, Word, Excel, etc.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This setting only applies to Microsoft Accounts (computer or browser login) while using Microsoft Windows 11 and not on prem domain-joined accounts.

Users will be warned if they store their password in Notepad or Microsoft 365 Office Apps. This can help reduce the risk of security incidents, such as data theft or data loss. Storing credentials in plain text allows for anyone who has authorized or unauthorized access to the system to obtain them.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender SmartScreen\Enhanced Phishing Protection\Notify Unsafe App

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WebThreatDefense.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

Saved passwords may be detected as false positives by Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.76.1.5 (L1) Ensure 'Service Enabled' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Enhanced Phishing Protection is in audit mode. This allows notifications to be sent to users regarding unsafe password events. Additionally, Enhanced Phishing Protection captures unsafe password entry events and sends diagnostic data through Microsoft Defender.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This setting only applies to Microsoft accounts (computer or browser login) while using Microsoft Windows 11 and not on-prem domain-joined accounts.

Allowing Enhanced Phishing Protection the ability to warn users about unsafe password use could prevent phishing attempts and (credential) data loss. In addition, the Microsoft 365 Defender Portal provides valuable phishing sensor data found in the environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender SmartScreen\Enhanced Phishing Protection\Service Enabled

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WebThreatDefense.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.76.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen' is set to 'Enabled: Warn and prevent bypass'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage the behavior of Windows Defender SmartScreen. Windows Defender SmartScreen helps keep PCs safer by warning users before running unrecognized programs downloaded from the Internet. Some information is sent to Microsoft about files and programs run on PCs with this feature enabled.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Warn and prevent bypass

Windows Defender SmartScreen helps keep PCs safer by warning users before running unrecognized programs downloaded from the Internet. However, due to the fact that some information is sent to Microsoft about files and programs run on PCs some organizations may prefer to disable it.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Warn and prevent bypass :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender SmartScreen\Explorer\Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsExplorer.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Configure Windows SmartScreen

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users will be warned and prevented from running unrecognized programs downloaded from the Internet.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - Ensure 'ShellSmartScreenLevel' is 'Windows: Registry Value' to 'Block':
Remote value: ''
Policy value: 'Block'


-------------------------
FAILED - EnableSmartScreen:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 1
18.10.78.1 (L1) Ensure 'Enables or disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting enables or disables the Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting features.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If this setting is allowed, users could record and broadcast session info to external sites, which is both a risk of accidentally exposing sensitive company data (on-screen) outside the company as well as a privacy concern.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting\Enables or disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GameDVR.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows Game Recording will not be allowed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.79.1 (L1) Ensure 'Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals' is set to 'Enabled: 1'
-
Info
Enhanced Sign-in Security isolates Windows Hello biometric (face and fingerprint) template data and matching operations to trusted hardware or specified memory regions.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 1 (Enhanced Sign-in Security Enabled)

Because the channel of communication between the sensors and the algorithm is secured, it is impossible for malware to inject or replay data in order to simulate a user signing in or to lock a user out of their machine.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 1 (Enhanced Sign-in Security Enabled):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Hello for Business\Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Passport.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.80.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow suggested apps in Windows Ink Workspace' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether suggested apps in Windows Ink Workspace are allowed.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This Microsoft feature is designed to collect data and suggest apps based on that data collected. Disabling this setting will help ensure your data is not shared with any third party.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Ink Workspace\Allow suggested apps in Windows Ink Workspace

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsInkWorkspace.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The suggested apps in Windows Ink Workspace will not be allowed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.80.2 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Windows Ink Workspace' is set to 'Enabled: On, but disallow access above lock' OR 'Enabled: Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Windows Ink items are allowed above the lock screen.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: On, but disallow access above lock OR Enabled: Disabled

Allowing any apps to be accessed while system is locked is not recommended. If this feature is permitted, it should only be accessible once a user authenticates with the proper credentials.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: On, but disallow access above lock OR Enabled: Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Ink Workspace\Allow Windows Ink Workspace

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsInkWorkspace.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows Ink Workspace will not be permitted above the lock screen.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0 || 1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.81.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow user control over installs' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting controls whether users are permitted to change installation options that typically are available only to system administrators. The security features of Windows Installer normally prevent users from changing installation options that are typically reserved for system administrators, such as specifying the directory to which files are installed. If Windows Installer detects that an installation package has permitted the user to change a protected option, it stops the installation and displays a message. These security features operate only when the installation program is running in a privileged security context in which it has access to directories denied to the user.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

In an enterprise managed environment, only IT staff with administrative rights should be installing or changing software on a system. Allowing users the ability to have any control over installs can risk unapproved software from being installed or removed from a system, which could cause the system to become vulnerable to compromise.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer\Allow user control over installs

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template MSI.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was named

Enable user control over installs

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.81.2 (L1) Ensure 'Always install with elevated privileges' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting controls whether or not Windows Installer should use system permissions when it installs any program on the system.

Note: This setting appears both in the Computer Configuration and User Configuration folders. To make this setting effective, you must enable the setting in both folders.

Caution: If enabled, skilled users can take advantage of the permissions this setting grants to change their privileges and gain permanent access to restricted files and folders. Note that the User Configuration version of this setting is not guaranteed to be secure.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Users with limited privileges can exploit this feature by creating a Windows Installer installation package that creates a new local account that belongs to the local built-in Administrators group, adds their current account to the local built-in Administrators group, installs malicious software, or performs other unauthorized activities.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer\Always install with elevated privileges

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template MSI.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(9)
800-53R5 AC-2(9)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(c)
CSCV7 4.3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.5
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.81.3 (L2) Ensure 'Prevent Internet Explorer security prompt for Windows Installer scripts' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether Web-based programs are allowed to install software on the computer without notifying the user.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Suppressing the system warning can pose a security risk and increase the attack surface on the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer\Prevent Internet Explorer security prompt for Windows Installer scripts

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template MSI.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Disable IE security prompt for Windows Installer scripts

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.82.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure the transmission of the user's password in the content of MPR notifications sent by winlogon.' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether winlogon includes a user's password in the content of Multiple Provider Router (MPR) notifications. MPR handles communication between the Windows operating system and the installed network providers. MPR checks the registry to determine which providers are installed on the system and the order they are cycled through.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

MPR is a legacy utility that provides notifications to registered credential managers or network providers when there is a logon event, or a password change event. Although MPR can be used by legitimate applications, the user's password field of these notifications should be empty to prevent abuse by attackers.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Logon Options\Configure the transmission of the user's password in the content of MPR notifications sent by winlogon.

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WinLogon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v1.0 (or newer).

Note #2: This setting was initially released with the Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates, named

Enable MPR notifications for the system

. It was renamed starting with the Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.82.2 (L1) Ensure 'Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether a device will automatically sign-in the last interactive user after Windows Update restarts the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Disabling this feature will prevent the caching of user's credentials and unauthorized use of the device, and also ensure the user is aware of the restart.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Logon Options\Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WinLogon.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Sign-in last interactive user automatically after a system-initiated restart

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 10 Release 1903 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

The device does not store the user's credentials for automatic sign-in after a Windows Update restart. The users' lock screen apps are not restarted after the system restarts. The user is required to present the logon credentials in order to proceed after restart.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.87.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn on PowerShell Script Block Logging' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting enables logging of all PowerShell script input to the Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\Operational Event Log channel.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: If logging of

Script Block Invocation Start/Stop Events

is enabled (option box checked), PowerShell will log additional events when invocation of a command, script block, function, or script starts or stops. Enabling this option generates a high volume of event logs. CIS has intentionally chosen not to make a recommendation for this option, since it generates a large volume of events. If an organization chooses to enable the optional setting (checked), this also conforms to the benchmark.

Logs of PowerShell script input can be very valuable when performing forensic investigations of PowerShell attack incidents to determine what occurred.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows PowerShell\Turn on PowerShell Script Block Logging

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template PowerShellExecutionPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

PowerShell script input will be logged to the Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\Operational Event Log channel, which can contain credentials and sensitive information.

Note: Configuring this setting to Enabled generates a high volume of event logs which will be overwritten if the log size is not expanded or offloaded to a log collection system.

Warning: There are potential risks of capturing credentials and sensitive information in the PowerShell logs, which could be exposed to users who have read-access to those logs. Microsoft provides a feature called 'Protected Event Logging' to better secure event log data. For assistance with protecting event logging, visit:

About Logging Windows - PowerShell | Microsoft Docs

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-53 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-2
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSCV7 8.8
CSCV8 8.8
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
LEVEL 2A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.87.2 (L2) Ensure 'Turn on PowerShell Transcription' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This Policy setting lets you capture the input and output of Windows PowerShell commands into text-based transcripts.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

PowerShell transcript input can be very valuable when performing forensic investigations of PowerShell attack incidents to determine what occurred.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows PowerShell\Turn on PowerShell Transcription

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template PowerShellExecutionPolicy.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

PowerShell transcript input will be logged to PowerShell_transcript output files, which are saved to the My Documents folder (within a separate subfolder for each day) of each users' profile by default. Optionally, a specific output directory name can be specified, which will contain all PowerShell transcript logs in a subfolder of My Documents. If specifying a full path outside the users My Documents folder, other users on the system could have access to view these logs, which may contain sensitive information such as passwords.

Warning: There are potential risks of capturing credentials and sensitive information in PowerShell_transcript output files, which could be exposed to users who have read access to the files.

Warning #2: PowerShell Transcription is not compatible with the natively installed PowerShell v4 on Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1511 and Server 2012 R2 and below. If this recommendation is set as prescribed, PowerShell will need to be updated to at least v5.1 or newer. For more information on updating PowerShell, please see

Windows PowerShell System Requirements - PowerShell | Microsoft Learn

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171R3 03.03.01
800-53 AU-2
800-53R5 AU-2
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(a)
CSCV7 8.8
CSCV8 8.8
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-2
LEVEL 2A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.5.1
NIAV2 AM7
NIAV2 AM11a
NIAV2 AM11b
NIAV2 AM11c
NIAV2 AM11d
NIAV2 AM11e
NIAV2 SS30
NIAV2 VL8
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.89.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Basic authentication' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) client uses Basic authentication.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Basic authentication is less robust than other authentication methods available in WinRM because credentials including passwords are transmitted in plain text. An attacker who is able to capture packets on the network where WinRM is running may be able to determine the credentials used for accessing remote hosts via WinRM.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Management (WinRM)\WinRM Client\Allow Basic authentication

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteManagement.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 16.5
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.89.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Allow unencrypted traffic' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) client sends and receives unencrypted messages over the network.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Encrypting WinRM network traffic reduces the risk of an attacker viewing or modifying WinRM messages as they transit the network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Management (WinRM)\WinRM Client\Allow unencrypted traffic

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteManagement.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 14.4
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.89.1.3 (L1) Ensure 'Disallow Digest authentication' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) client will not use Digest authentication.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Digest authentication is less robust than other authentication methods available in WinRM, an attacker who is able to capture packets on the network where WinRM is running may be able to determine the credentials used for accessing remote hosts via WinRM.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Management (WinRM)\WinRM Client\Disallow Digest authentication

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteManagement.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

The WinRM client will not use Digest authentication.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 16.5
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.89.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Basic authentication' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service accepts Basic authentication from a remote client.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Basic authentication is less robust than other authentication methods available in WinRM because credentials including passwords are transmitted in plain text. An attacker who is able to capture packets on the network where WinRM is running may be able to determine the credentials used for accessing remote hosts via WinRM.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Management (WinRM)\WinRM Service\Allow Basic authentication

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteManagement.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 16.5
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.89.2.2 (L2) Ensure 'Allow remote server management through WinRM' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service automatically listens on the network for requests on the HTTP transport over the default HTTP port.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Any feature is a potential avenue of attack, those that enable inbound network connections are particularly risky. Only enable the use of the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service on trusted networks and when feasible employ additional controls such as IPsec.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Management (WinRM)\WinRM Service\Allow remote server management through WinRM

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteManagement.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Allow automatic configuration of listeners

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.89.2.4 (L1) Ensure 'Disallow WinRM from storing RunAs credentials' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service will allow RunAs credentials to be stored for any plug-ins.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: If you enable and then disable this policy setting, any values that were previously configured for RunAsPassword will need to be reset.

Although the ability to store RunAs credentials is a convenient feature it increases the risk of account compromise slightly. For example, if you forget to lock your desktop before leaving it unattended for a few minutes another person could access not only the desktop of your computer but also any hosts you manage via WinRM with cached RunAs credentials.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Management (WinRM)\WinRM Service\Disallow WinRM from storing RunAs credentials

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteManagement.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The WinRM service will not allow the RunAsUser or RunAsPassword configuration values to be set for any plug-ins. If a plug-in has already set the RunAsUser and RunAsPassword configuration values, the RunAsPassword configuration value will be erased from the credential store on the computer.

If this setting is later Disabled again, any values that were previously configured for RunAsPassword will need to be reset.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.2
800-171 3.13.5
800-171R3 03.13.01
800-53 SC-7(21)
800-53R5 SC-7(21)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(j)
CSCV7 14.3
CSF PR.AC-5
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.1.3
ITSG-33 SC-7
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.5.3
NIAV2 VL6
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 1.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 1.4.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 43.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.90.1 (L2) Ensure 'Allow Remote Shell Access' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage configuration of remote access to all supported shells to execute scripts and commands.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: The GPME help text for this setting is incorrectly worded, implying that configuring it to Enabled will reject new Remote Shell connections, and setting it to Disabled will allow Remote Shell connections. The opposite is true (and is consistent with the title of the setting). This is a wording mistake by Microsoft in the Administrative Template.

Any feature is a potential avenue of attack, those that enable inbound network connections are particularly risky. Only enable the use of the Windows Remote Shell on trusted networks and when feasible employ additional controls such as IPsec.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Shell\Allow Remote Shell Access

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteShell.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

New Remote Shell connections are not allowed and are rejected by the workstation.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.91.1 (L1) Ensure 'Allow clipboard sharing with Windows Sandbox' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting enables or disables clipboard sharing with the Windows Sandbox.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: The Windows Sandbox feature was first introduced in Windows 10 R1903, and allows a temporary 'clean install' virtual instance of Windows to be run inside the host, for the ostensible purpose of testing applications without making changes to the host.

Disabling copy and paste decreases the attack surface exposed by the Windows Sandbox and possible exposure of untrusted applications to the internal network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Sandbox\Allow clipboard sharing with Windows Sandbox

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsSandbox.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The copy and paste function to/from the Windows Sandbox will be disabled. Therefore, files will not be able to be moved to/from the Windows Sandbox via the clipboard.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.91.2 (L2) Ensure 'Allow mapping folders into Windows Sandbox' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether folders are allowed to be mapped into Windows Sandbox.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: The Windows Sandbox feature was first introduced in Windows 10 R1903, and allows a temporary 'clean install' virtual instance of Windows to be run inside the host, for the ostensible purpose of testing applications without making changes to the host.

Disabling the ability to map folders from the host to the sandbox decreases the attack surface exposed by the Windows Sandbox and exposure of untrusted application and files to the internal network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Sandbox\Allow mapping folders into Windows Sandbox

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsSandbox.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 24H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Mapped folder access into the Windows Sandbox will be disabled. Therefore, applications and files in the Sandbox will not be accessible to the host system.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.91.3 (L1) Ensure 'Allow networking in Windows Sandbox' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting enables or disables networking in the Windows Sandbox. Networking is achieved by creating a virtual switch on the host, and connecting the Windows Sandbox to it via a virtual Network Interface Card (NIC).

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: The Windows Sandbox feature was first introduced in Windows 10 R1903, and allows a temporary 'clean install' virtual instance of Windows to be run inside the host, for the ostensible purpose of testing applications without making changes to the host.

Disabling network access decreases the attack surface exposed by the Windows Sandbox and exposure of untrusted applications to the internal network.

Note: Per Microsoft, enabling networking in the Windows Sandbox can expose untrusted applications to the internal network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Sandbox\Allow networking in Windows Sandbox

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsSandbox.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Network access to/from the Windows Sandbox will be disabled. Therefore, files will not be able to be moved to/from the Windows Sandbox via the network.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.92.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent users from modifying settings' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting prevent users from making changes to the Exploit protection settings area in the Windows Security settings.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Only authorized IT staff should be able to make changes to the exploit protection settings in order to ensure the organizations specific configuration is not modified.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Security\App and browser protection\Prevent users from modifying settings

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefenderSecurityCenter.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Local users cannot make changes in the Exploit protection settings area.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SI-16
800-53R5 SI-16
CSCV7 8.3
CSCV8 10.5
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SI-16
LEVEL 1A
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.93.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies that Automatic Updates will wait for computers to be restarted by the users who are logged on to them to complete a scheduled installation.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: This setting applies only when you configure Automatic Updates to perform scheduled update installations. If you configure the Configure Automatic Updates setting to Disabled, this setting has no effect.

Some security updates require that the computer be restarted to complete an installation. If the computer cannot restart automatically, then the most recent update will not completely install and no new updates will download to the computer until it is restarted. Without the auto-restart functionality, users who are not security-conscious may choose to indefinitely delay the restart, therefore keeping the computer in a less secure state.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Legacy Policies\No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations

, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.93.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Automatic Updates' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether computers in your environment will receive security updates from Windows Update or WSUS. If you configure this policy setting to Enabled, the operating system will recognize when a network connection is available and then use the network connection to search Windows Update or your designated intranet site for updates that apply to them.

After you configure this policy setting to Enabled, select one of the following four options in the Configure Automatic Updates Properties dialog box to specify how the service will work:

- 2 - Notify for download and auto install

(Notify before downloading any updates)

- 3 - Auto download and notify for install

(Download the updates automatically and notify when they are ready to be installed.) (Default setting)

- 4 - Auto download and schedule the install

(Automatically download updates and install them on the schedule specified below.))

- 5 - Allow local admin to choose setting

(Leave decision on above choices up to the local Administrators (Not Recommended))

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: The sub-setting '

Configure automatic updating:

' has 4 possible values - all of them are valid depending on specific organizational needs, however if feasible we suggest using a value of 4 - Auto download and schedule the install This suggestion is not a scored requirement.

Note #2: Organizations that utilize a third--party solution for patching may choose to exempt themselves from this recommendation, and instead configure it to Disabled so that the native Windows Update mechanism does not interfere with the third--party patching process.

Although each version of Windows is thoroughly tested before release, it is possible that problems will be discovered after the products are shipped. The Configure Automatic Updates setting can help you ensure that the computers in your environment will always have the most recent critical operating system updates and service packs installed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage end user experience\Configure Automatic Updates

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Critical operating system updates and service packs will be installed as necessary.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.93.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Automatic Updates: Scheduled install day' is set to '0 - Every day'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies when computers in your environment will receive security updates from Windows Update or WSUS.

The recommended state for this setting is: 0 - Every day

Note: This setting is only applicable if 4 - Auto download and schedule the install is selected in the recommendation

'Configure Automatic Updates'

. It will have no impact if any other option is selected.

Although each version of Windows is thoroughly tested before release, it is possible that problems will be discovered after the products are shipped. The Configure Automatic Updates setting can help you ensure that the computers in your environment will always have the most recent critical operating system updates and service packs installed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 0 - Every day :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage end user experience\Configure Automatic Updates: Scheduled install day

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

If 4 - Auto download and schedule the install is selected in recommendation

'Configure Automatic Updates'

, critical operating system updates and service packs will automatically download every day (at 3:00 A.M., by default).
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.93.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Enable features introduced via servicing that are off by default' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy settings configures whether or not features and enhancements that are introduced through monthly cumulative updates (servicing), are enabled on the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Often, new features or enhancements that are enabled by default (before IT administrators are ready to manage them) can negatively impact the user experience or introduce bugs and security risks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage end user experience\Enable features introduced via servicing that are off by default

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 22H2 Administrative Templates v3.0 (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.93.2.4 (L1) Ensure 'Remove access to 'Pause updates' feature' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy removes access to 'Pause updates' feature.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

In order to ensure security and system updates are applied, system administrators should control when updates are applied to systems.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage end user experience\Remove access to 'Pause updates' feature

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1809 & Server 2019 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to select the 'Pause updates' option in Windows Update to prevent updates from being installed on a system.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.93.4.1 (L1) Ensure 'Manage preview builds' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting manages which updates that are received prior to the update being released.

Dev Channel: Ideal for highly technical users. Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive builds from our active development branch that is earliest in a development cycle. These builds are not matched to a specific Windows 10 release.

Beta Channel: Ideal for feature explorers who want to see upcoming Windows 10 features. Your feedback will be especially important here as it will help our engineers ensure key issues are fixed before a major release.

Release Preview Channel (default): Insiders in the Release Preview Channel will have access to the upcoming release of Windows 10 prior to it being released to the world. These builds are supported by Microsoft. The Release Preview Channel is where we recommend companies preview and validate upcoming Windows 10 releases before broad deployment within their organization.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Preview Build enrollment requires a telemetry level setting of 2 or higher and your domain registered on insider.windows.com. For additional information on Preview Builds, see:

Managing preview builds across your organization - Windows Insider Program | Microsoft Learn

.

It can be risky for experimental features to be allowed in an enterprise managed environment because this can introduce bugs and security holes into systems, making it easier for an attacker to gain access. It is generally preferred to only use production-ready builds.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage updates offered from Windows Update\Manage preview builds

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Preview builds are prevented from installing on the device.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.8
800-171R3 03.04.08
800-53 CM-7(5)
800-53 CM-10
800-53R5 CM-7(5)
800-53R5 CM-10
CSCV7 2.6
CSCV8 2.5
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.32
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.19
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.5.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.2
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
TBA-FIISB 44.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.93.4.2 (L1) Ensure 'Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received' is set to 'Enabled: 180 or more days'
-
Info
This policy setting determines when Preview Build or Feature Updates are received.

Defer Updates This enables devices to defer taking the next Feature Update available to your channel for up to 14 days for all the pre-release channels and up to 365 days for the Semi-Annual Channel. Or, if the device is updating from the Semi-Annual Channel, a version for the device to move to and/or stay on until the policy is updated or the device reaches end of service can be specified. Note: If you set both policies, the version specified will take precedence and the deferrals will not be in effect. Please see the Windows Release Information page for OS version information.

Pause Updates To prevent Feature Updates from being received on their scheduled time, you can temporarily pause Feature Updates. The pause will remain in effect for 35 days from the specified start date or until the field is cleared (Quality Updates will still be offered).

Note: If the 'Allow Diagnostic Data' (formerly 'Allow Telemetry') policy is set to 0, this policy will have no effect.

Note #2: Starting with Windows 10 R1607, Microsoft introduced a new Windows Update (WU) client behavior called Dual Scan with an eye to cloud-based update management. In some cases, this Dual Scan feature can interfere with Windows Updates from Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and/or manual WU updates. If you are using WSUS in your environment, you may need to set the above setting to Not Configured

or

configure the setting

Do not allow update deferral policies to cause scans against Windows Update

(added in the Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates) in order to prevent the Dual Scan feature from interfering. More information on Dual Scan is available at these links:

-

Demystifying 'Dual Scan' - WSUS Product Team Blog

-

Improving Dual Scan on 1607 - WSUS Product Team Blog

Note #3: Prior to Windows 10 R1703, values above 180 days are not recognized by the OS. Starting with Windows 10 R1703, the maximum number of days you can defer is 365 days.

In a production environment, it is preferred to only use software and features that are publicly available, after they have gone through rigorous testing in beta.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: 180 or more days :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage updates offered from Windows Update\Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named

Select when Feature Updates are received

, but it was renamed to

Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received

starting with the Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Feature Updates will be delayed until they are publicly released to general public by Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 2.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - Value of DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: [180..4294967295]


-------------------------
FAILED - Value of DeferFeatureUpdates:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 1
18.10.93.4.3 (L1) Ensure 'Select when Quality Updates are received' is set to 'Enabled: 0 days'
-
Info
This settings controls when Quality Updates are received.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: 0 days

Note: If the 'Allow Diagnostic Data' (formerly 'Allow Telemetry') policy is set to 0, this policy will have no effect.

Note #2: Starting with Windows 10 R1607, Microsoft introduced a new Windows Update (WU) client behavior called Dual Scan with an eye to cloud-based update management. In some cases, this Dual Scan feature can interfere with Windows Updates from Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and/or manual WU updates. If you are using WSUS in your environment, you may need to set the above setting to Not Configured

or

configure the setting

Do not allow update deferral policies to cause scans against Windows Update

(added in the Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates) in order to prevent the Dual Scan feature from interfering. More information on Dual Scan is available at these links:

-

Demystifying 'Dual Scan' - WSUS Product Team Blog

-

Improving Dual Scan on 1607 - WSUS Product Team Blog

Quality Updates can contain important bug fixes and/or security patches, and should be installed as soon as possible.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:0 days :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage updates offered from Windows Update\Select when Quality Updates are received

Note: Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
FAILED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
FAILED - Value of DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 0


-------------------------
FAILED - Value of DeferQualityUpdates:
Remote value: NULL
Policy value: 1
18.10.93.4.4 (L1) Ensure 'Enable optional updates' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether devices are able to receive optional updates (including Controlled Feature Rollout (CFRs)). These optional updates can include non-security updates, feature enhancements, and other improvements.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Often, new features or enhancements that are enabled by default (before IT administrators are ready to manage them) can negatively impact the user experience or introduce bugs and security risks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage updates offered from Windows Update\Enable optional updates

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 23H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

New features will not be available on the system until the feature update that includes these features and enhancements is installed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.11.2
800-171 3.11.3
800-171 3.14.1
800-171R3 03.11.02
800-171R3 03.14.01
800-53 RA-5
800-53 SI-2
800-53 SI-2(2)
800-53R5 RA-5
800-53R5 RA-7
800-53R5 SI-2
800-53R5 SI-2(2)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(e)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(b)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(d)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(e)
CSCV7 3.4
CSCV8 7.3
CSF DE.CM-8
CSF DE.DP-4
CSF DE.DP-5
CSF ID.RA-1
CSF PR.IP-12
CSF RS.CO-3
CSF RS.MI-3
CSF2.0 GV.SC-10
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-01
CSF2.0 ID.RA-08
CSF2.0 PR.PS-02
GDPR 32.1.b
GDPR 32.1.d
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.6.1
ITSG-33 RA-5
ITSG-33 SI-2
ITSG-33 SI-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.4.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.7.1
NIAV2 PR9
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 6.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 6.3.3
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
19.5.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off toast notifications on the lock screen' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting turns off toast notifications on the lock screen.

The recommended state for this setting is Enabled

While this feature can be handy for users, applications that provide toast notifications might display sensitive personal or business data while the device is left unattended.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\Notifications\Turn off toast notifications on the lock screen

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WPN.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.0 & Server 2012 (non-R2) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Applications will not be able to raise toast notifications on the lock screen.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PushNotifications -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PushNotifications -
19.6.6.1.1 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off Help Experience Improvement Program' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting specifies whether users can participate in the Help Experience Improvement program. The Help Experience Improvement program collects information about how customers use Windows Help so that Microsoft can improve it.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Large enterprise managed environments may not want to have information collected by Microsoft from managed client computers.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication Settings\Turn off Help Experience Improvement Program

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template HelpAndSupport.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users cannot participate in the Help Experience Improvement program.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Assistance\Client\1.0 -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Assistance\Client\1.0 -
19.7.5.1 (L1) Ensure 'Do not preserve zone information in file attachments' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether Windows marks file attachments with information about their zone of origin (such as restricted, Internet, intranet, local). This requires NTFS in order to function correctly, and will fail without notice on FAT32. By not preserving the zone information, Windows cannot make proper risk assessments.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: The Attachment Manager feature warns users when opening or executing files which are marked as being from an untrusted source, unless/until the file's zone information has been removed via the 'Unblock' button on the file's properties or via a separate tool such as

Microsoft Sysinternals Streams

.

A file that is downloaded from a computer in the Internet or Restricted Sites zone may be moved to a location that makes it appear safe, like an intranet file share, and executed by an unsuspecting user. The Attachment Manager feature will warn users when opening or executing files which are marked as being from an untrusted source, unless/until the file's zone information has been removed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Attachment Manager\Do not preserve zone information in file attachments

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AttachmentManager.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments -
19.7.5.2 (L1) Ensure 'Notify antivirus programs when opening attachments' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting manages the behavior for notifying registered antivirus programs. If multiple programs are registered, they will all be notified.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: An updated antivirus program must be installed for this policy setting to function properly.

Antivirus programs that do not perform on-access checks may not be able to scan downloaded files.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Attachment Manager\Notify antivirus programs when opening attachments

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template AttachmentManager.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Windows tells the registered antivirus program(s) to scan the file when a user opens a file attachment. If the antivirus program fails, the attachment is blocked from being opened.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.14.2
800-171 3.14.4
800-171 3.14.5
800-171R3 03.14.02
800-53 SI-3
800-53R5 SI-3
CN-L3 7.1.3.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.5
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(a)
CN-L3 8.1.9.6(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.5(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.10.7(b)
CSCV7 8.1
CSCV8 10.1
CSF DE.CM-4
CSF DE.DP-3
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.7
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.2.1
ITSG-33 SI-3
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 GS8a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 5.1.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.3
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.1
TBA-FIISB 49.2.2
TBA-FIISB 49.3.1
TBA-FIISB 49.3.2
TBA-FIISB 50.2.1
TBA-FIISB 51.2.4
TBA-FIISB 51.2.7
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
3
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments -
19.7.8.1 (L1) Ensure 'Configure Windows spotlight on lock screen' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting lets you configure Windows Spotlight on the lock screen.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note:

Per Microsoft TechNet

, this policy setting only applies to Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education editions.

Enabling this setting will help ensure your data is not shared with any third party. The Windows Spotlight feature collects data and uses that data to display suggested apps as well as images from the internet.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Configure Windows spotlight on lock screen

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows Spotlight will be turned off and users will no longer be able to select it as their lock screen.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
19.7.8.2 (L1) Ensure 'Do not suggest third-party content in Windows spotlight' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether Windows will suggest apps and content from third-party software publishers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Enabling this setting will help ensure your data is not shared with any third party. The Windows Spotlight feature collects data and uses that data to display suggested apps as well as images from the internet.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Do not suggest third-party content in Windows spotlight

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows Spotlight on lock screen, Windows tips, Microsoft consumer features and other related features will no longer suggest apps and content from third-party software publishers. Users may still see suggestions and tips to make them more productive with Microsoft features and apps.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
19.7.8.3 (L2) Ensure 'Do not use diagnostic data for tailored experiences' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting determines if Windows can use diagnostic data to provide tailored experiences to the user.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Tracking, collection and utilization of personalized data is a privacy and security issue that is of concern to many organizations.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Do not use diagnostic data for tailored experiences

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1703 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows will not use diagnostic data from this device (this data may include browser, app and feature usage, depending on the 'Diagnostic and usage data' setting value) to customize content shown on the lock screen, Windows tips, Microsoft consumer features and other related features. If these features are enabled, users will still see recommendations, tips and offers, but they may be less personalized.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.06b.
800-53 CM-7b.
800-53R5 CM-7b.
CN-L3 7.1.3.5(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.7(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.4(b)
CSCV7 9.2
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 CM-7a.
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS13b
NIAV2 SS14a
NIAV2 SS14c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.4
QCSC-V1 3.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
19.7.8.4 (L2) Ensure 'Turn off all Windows spotlight features' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the all Windows Spotlight features are turned on/off (together).

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note:

Per Microsoft TechNet

, this policy setting only applies to Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education editions.

Enabling this setting will help ensure your data is not shared with any third party. The Windows Spotlight feature collects data and uses that data to display suggested apps as well as images from the internet.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Turn off all Windows spotlight features

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1607 & Server 2016 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Windows Spotlight on lock screen, Windows tips, Microsoft consumer features and other related features will be turned off.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
19.7.8.5 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Spotlight collection on Desktop' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting removes the Spotlight collection setting in Personalization, rendering the user unable to select and subsequently download daily images from Microsoft to the system desktop.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Enabling this setting will help ensure your data is not shared with any third party. The Windows Spotlight feature collects data and uses that data to display images from Microsoft.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Cloud Content\Turn off Spotlight collection on Desktop

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template CloudContent.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 21H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

The Spotlight collection feature will not be available as an option in Personalization settings, so users will not be able to download daily images from Microsoft.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent -
19.7.26.1 (L1) Ensure 'Prevent users from sharing files within their profile.' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether users can share files within their profile. By default, users are allowed to share files within their profile to other users on their network after an administrator opts in the computer. An administrator can opt in the computer by using the sharing wizard to share a file within their profile.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

If not properly configured, a user could accidentally share sensitive data with unauthorized users. In an enterprise managed environment, the company should provide a managed location for file sharing, such as a file server or SharePoint, instead of the user sharing files directly from their own user profile.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Network Sharing\Prevent users from sharing files within their profile.

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Sharing.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Users cannot share files within their profile using the sharing wizard. Also, the sharing wizard cannot create a share at %root%\Users and can only be used to create SMB shares on folders.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-53 AC-3
800-53R5 AC-3
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 14.6
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ITSG-33 AC-3
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 SS29
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 31.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer -
19.7.40.1 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off Windows Copilot' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting configures the use of Windows Copilot. Windows Copilot is an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that's integrated in Microsoft Windows workstation OSes, beginning with Windows 11 Release 23H2.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

While AI can be an exciting new technology, it also carries its own risks, including the possibility of users accidentally uploading or typing personal or organization-sensitive data into it, with no real way to 'undo' or get that data back.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Copilot\Turn off Windows Copilot

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsCopilot.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 11 Release 23H2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Users will not be able to use Windows Copilot and its icon will not appear on the taskbar.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot -
19.7.44.1 (L1) Ensure 'Always install with elevated privileges' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting controls whether or not Windows Installer should use system permissions when it installs any program on the system.

Note: This setting appears both in the Computer Configuration and User Configuration folders. To make this setting effective, you must enable the setting in both folders.

Caution: If enabled, skilled users can take advantage of the permissions this setting grants to change their privileges and gain permanent access to restricted files and folders. Note that the User Configuration version of this setting is not guaranteed to be secure.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Users with limited privileges can exploit this feature by creating a Windows Installer installation package that creates a new local account that belongs to the local built-in Administrators group, adds their current account to the local built-in Administrators group, installs malicious software, or performs other unauthorized activities.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Installer\Always install with elevated privileges

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template MSI.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(9)
800-53R5 AC-2(9)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(c)
CSCV7 4.3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM16
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.5
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer -
19.7.46.2.1 (L2) Ensure 'Prevent Codec Download' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This setting controls whether Windows Media Player is allowed to download additional codecs for decoding media files it does not already understand.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This has some potential for risk if a malicious data file is opened in Media Player that requires an additional codec to be installed. If a special codec is required for a necessary job function, then that codec should first be tested to ensure it is legitimate, and it should be supplied by the IT department in the organization.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Media Player\Playback\Prevent Codec Download

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsMediaPlayer.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

Windows Media Player is prevented from automatically downloading codecs to your computer. In addition, the

Download codecs automatically

check box on the Player tab in the Player is not available.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.13.13
800-171R3 03.13.13
800-53 SC-18(3)
800-53R5 SC-18(3)
CSF DE.CM-5
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SC-18(3)
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 NS26f
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

Non-compliant items:
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-1001\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer -
HKU\S-1-5-21-2644038323-2387028555-3688515577-500\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaPlayer -
Compliance 'SKIPPED'
Compliance 'PASSED'
1.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Maximum password age' is set to '365 or fewer days, but not 0'
-
Info
This policy setting defines how long a user can use their password before it expires.

Values for this policy setting range from 0 to 999 days. If you set the value to 0, the password will never expire.

Because attackers can crack passwords, the more frequently you change the password the less opportunity an attacker has to use a cracked password. However, the lower this value is set, the higher the potential for an increase in calls to help desk support due to users having to change their password or forgetting which password is current.

The recommended state for this setting is 365 or fewer days, but not 0

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

The longer a password exists the higher the likelihood that it will be compromised by a brute force attack, by an attacker gaining general knowledge about the user, or by the user sharing the password. Configuring the Maximum password age setting to 0 so that users are never required to change their passwords is a major security risk because that allows a compromised password to be used by the malicious user for as long as the valid user has authorized access.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 365 or fewer days, but not 0 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Password Policy\Maximum password age

Impact:

If the Maximum password age setting is too low, users are required to change their passwords very often. Such a configuration can reduce security in the organization, because users might write their passwords in an insecure location or lose them. If the value for this policy setting is too high, the level of security within an organization is reduced because it allows potential attackers more time in which to discover user passwords or to use compromised accounts.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 16.10
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..365]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

42
1.1.7 (L1) Ensure 'Store passwords using reversible encryption' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the operating system stores passwords in a way that uses reversible encryption, which provides support for application protocols that require knowledge of the user's password for authentication purposes. Passwords that are stored with reversible encryption are essentially the same as plaintext versions of the passwords.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Password Policy settings (section 1.1) and Account Lockout Policy settings (section 1.2) must be applied via the Default Domain Policy GPO in order to be globally in effect on domain user accounts as their default behavior. If these settings are configured in another GPO, they will only affect local user accounts on the computers that receive the GPO. However, custom exceptions to the default password policy and account lockout policy rules for specific domain users and/or groups can be defined using Password Settings Objects (PSOs), which are completely separate from Group Policy and most easily configured using Active Directory Administrative Center.

Enabling this policy setting allows the operating system to store passwords in a weaker format that is much more susceptible to compromise and weakens your system security.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Password Policy\Store passwords using reversible encryption

Impact:

If your organization uses either the CHAP authentication protocol through remote access or IAS services or Digest Authentication in IIS, you must configure this policy setting to Enabled. This setting is extremely dangerous to apply through Group Policy on a user-by-user basis, because it requires the appropriate user account object to be opened in Active Directory Users and Computers.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.16
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-28
800-53 SC-28(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-28
800-53R5 SC-28(1)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(b)
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 3.11
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.DS-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iv)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(ii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-28
ITSG-33 SC-28a.
ITSG-33 SC-28(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 3.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.3.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 28.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'disabled'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'disabled'
1.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Allow Administrator account lockout' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the built-in Administrator account is subject to the following Account Lockout Policy settings:

Account lockout duration

,

Account lockout threshold

, and

Reset account lockout counter

. By default, this account is excluded from the account lockout controls and will never be locked out with repeated bad password attempts.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This setting applies only to OSes patched as of October 11, 2022 (see

MS KB5020282

).

Enabling account lockout policies for the built-in Administrator account will reduce the likelihood of a successful brute force attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Account Policies\Account Lockout Policies\Allow Administrator account lockout

Impact:

The built-in Administrator account will be subject to the policies in Section

1.2 Account Lockout Policy

of this benchmark.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.8
800-171 3.1.18
800-171R3 03.01.08
800-171R3 03.01.18
800-53 AC-7
800-53 AC-19
800-53R5 AC-7
800-53R5 AC-19
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
CSCV7 16.12
CSCV8 4.10
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-7
ITSG-33 AC-19
LEVEL 1M
NIAV2 AM24
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 36.2.4
TBA-FIISB 45.1.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'enabled'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'enabled'
2.2.1 (L1) Ensure 'Access Credential Manager as a trusted caller' is set to 'No One'
-
Info
This security setting is used by Credential Manager during Backup and Restore. No accounts should have this user right, as it is only assigned to Winlogon. Users' saved credentials might be compromised if this user right is assigned to other entities.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One

If an account is given this right the user of the account may create an application that calls into Credential Manager and is returned the credentials for another user.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Access Credential Manager as a trusted caller

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 4.8
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Act as part of the operating system' is set to 'No One'
-
Info
This policy setting allows a process to assume the identity of any user and thus gain access to the resources that the user is authorized to access.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

The Act as part of the operating system user right is extremely powerful. Anyone with this user right can take complete control of the computer and erase evidence of their activities.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Act as part of the operating system

Impact:

There should be little or no impact because the Act as part of the operating system user right is rarely needed by any accounts other than the Local System account, which implicitly has this right.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.4 (L1) Ensure 'Adjust memory quotas for a process' is set to 'Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE'
-
Info
This policy setting allows a user to adjust the maximum amount of memory that is available to a process. The ability to adjust memory quotas is useful for system tuning, but it can be abused. In the wrong hands, it could be used to launch a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE

A user with the Adjust memory quotas for a process user right can reduce the amount of memory that is available to any process, which could cause business-critical network applications to become slow or to fail. In the wrong hands, this privilege could be used to start a denial of service (DoS) attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Adjust memory quotas for a process

Impact:

Organizations that have not restricted users to roles with limited privileges will find it difficult to impose this countermeasure. Also, if you have installed optional components such as ASP.NET or IIS, you may need to assign the Adjust memory quotas for a process user right to additional accounts that are required by those components. Otherwise, this countermeasure should have no impact on most computers. If this user right is necessary for a user account, it can be assigned to a local computer account instead of a domain account.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'LOCAL SERVICE' && 'NETWORK SERVICE'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators' && 'network service' && 'local service'
2.2.6 (L1) Ensure 'Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services' is set to 'Administrators, Remote Desktop Users'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users or groups have the right to log on as a Remote Desktop Services client. If your organization uses Remote Assistance as part of its help desk strategy, create a group and assign it this user right through Group Policy. If the help desk in your organization does not use Remote Assistance, assign this user right only to the Administrators group or use the Restricted Groups feature to ensure that no user accounts are part of the Remote Desktop Users group.

Restrict this user right to the Administrators group, and possibly the Remote Desktop Users group, to prevent unwanted users from gaining access to computers on your network by means of the Remote Assistance feature.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, Remote Desktop Users

Note: The above list is to be treated as a whitelist, which implies that the above principals need not be present for assessment of this recommendation to pass.

Note #2: In all versions of Windows prior to Windows 7, Remote Desktop Services was known as Terminal Services so you should substitute the older term if comparing against an older OS.

Any account with the Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services user right can log on to the remote console of the computer. If you do not restrict this user right to legitimate users who need to log on to the console of the computer, unauthorized users could download and run malicious software to elevate their privileges.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, Remote Desktop Users :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services

Impact:

Removal of the Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services user right from other groups or membership changes in these default groups could limit the abilities of users who perform specific administrative roles in your environment. You should confirm that delegated activities will not be adversely affected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 4.3
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'Remote Desktop Users'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'remote desktop users' && 'administrators'
2.2.8 (L1) Ensure 'Change the system time' is set to 'Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users and groups can change the time and date on the internal clock of the computers in your environment. Users who are assigned this user right can affect the appearance of event logs. When a computer's time setting is changed, logged events reflect the new time, not the actual time that the events occurred.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE

Note: Discrepancies between the time on the local computer and on the Domain Controllers in your environment may cause problems for the Kerberos authentication protocol, which could make it impossible for users to log on to the domain or obtain authorization to access domain resources after they are logged on. Also, problems will occur when Group Policy is applied to client computers if the system time is not synchronized with the Domain Controllers.

Users who can change the time on a computer could cause several problems. For example, time stamps on event log entries could be made inaccurate, time stamps on files and folders that are created or modified could be incorrect, and computers that belong to a domain may not be able to authenticate themselves or users who try to log on to the domain from them. Also, because the Kerberos authentication protocol requires that the requestor and authenticator have their clocks synchronized within an administrator-defined skew period, an attacker who changes a computer's time may cause that computer to be unable to obtain or grant Kerberos tickets.

The risk from these types of events is mitigated on most Domain Controllers, Member Servers, and end-user computers because the Windows Time service automatically synchronizes time with Domain Controllers in the following ways:

- All client desktop computers and Member Servers use the authenticating Domain Controller as their inbound time partner.
- All Domain Controllers in a domain nominate the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) Emulator operations master as their inbound time partner.
- All PDC Emulator operations masters follow the hierarchy of domains in the selection of their inbound time partner.
- The PDC Emulator operations master at the root of the domain is authoritative for the organization. Therefore it is recommended that you configure this computer to synchronize with a reliable external time server.

This vulnerability becomes much more serious if an attacker is able to change the system time and then stop the Windows Time service or reconfigure it to synchronize with a time server that is not accurate.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Change the system time

Impact:

There should be no impact, because time synchronization for most organizations should be fully automated for all computers that belong to the domain. Computers that do not belong to the domain should be configured to synchronize with an external source.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'LOCAL SERVICE'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators' && 'local service'
2.2.9 (L1) Ensure 'Change the time zone' is set to 'Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, Users'
-
Info
This setting determines which users can change the time zone of the computer. This ability holds no great danger for the computer and may be useful for mobile workers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, Users

Changing the time zone represents little vulnerability because the system time is not affected. This setting merely enables users to display their preferred time zone while being synchronized with Domain Controllers in different time zones.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, Users :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Change the time zone

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'LOCAL SERVICE' && 'Users'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'users' && 'administrators' && 'local service'
2.2.10 (L1) Ensure 'Create a pagefile' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to change the size of the pagefile. By making the pagefile extremely large or extremely small, an attacker could easily affect the performance of a compromised computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Users who can change the page file size could make it extremely small or move the file to a highly fragmented storage volume, which could cause reduced computer performance.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Create a pagefile

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.11 (L1) Ensure 'Create a token object' is set to 'No One'
-
Info
This policy setting allows a process to create an access token, which may provide elevated rights to access sensitive data.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

A user account that is given this user right has complete control over the system and can lead to the system being compromised. It is highly recommended that you do not assign any user accounts this right.

The operating system examines a user's access token to determine the level of the user's privileges. Access tokens are built when users log on to the local computer or connect to a remote computer over a network. When you revoke a privilege, the change is immediately recorded, but the change is not reflected in the user's access token until the next time the user logs on or connects. Users with the ability to create or modify tokens can change the level of access for any currently logged on account. They could escalate their own privileges or create a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Create a token object

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.12 (L1) Ensure 'Create global objects' is set to 'Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE, SERVICE'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether users can create global objects that are available to all sessions. Users can still create objects that are specific to their own session if they do not have this user right.

Users who can create global objects could affect processes that run under other users' sessions. This capability could lead to a variety of problems, such as application failure or data corruption.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE, SERVICE

Users who can create global objects could affect Windows services and processes that run under other user or system accounts. This capability could lead to a variety of problems, such as application failure, data corruption and elevation of privilege.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE, SERVICE :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Create global objects

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && 'LOCAL SERVICE' && 'NETWORK SERVICE' && 'SERVICE'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'service' && 'administrators' && 'network service' && 'local service'
2.2.13 (L1) Ensure 'Create permanent shared objects' is set to 'No One'
-
Info
This user right is useful to kernel-mode components that extend the object namespace. However, components that run in kernel mode have this user right inherently. Therefore, it is typically not necessary to specifically assign this user right.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One

Users who have the Create permanent shared objects user right could create new shared objects and expose sensitive data to the network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Create permanent shared objects

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.14 (L1) Ensure 'Create symbolic links' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users can create symbolic links. In Windows Vista, existing NTFS file system objects, such as files and folders, can be accessed by referring to a new kind of file system object called a symbolic link. A symbolic link is a pointer (much like a shortcut or .lnk file) to another file system object, which can be a file, folder, shortcut or another symbolic link. The difference between a shortcut and a symbolic link is that a shortcut only works from within the Windows shell. To other programs and applications, shortcuts are just another file, whereas with symbolic links, the concept of a shortcut is implemented as a feature of the NTFS file system.

Symbolic links can potentially expose security vulnerabilities in applications that are not designed to use them. For this reason, the privilege for creating symbolic links should only be assigned to trusted users. By default, only Administrators can create symbolic links.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators and (when the

Hyper-V

feature is installed) NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines

Users who have the Create symbolic links user right could inadvertently or maliciously expose your system to symbolic link attacks. Symbolic link attacks can be used to change the permissions on a file, to corrupt data, to destroy data, or as a Denial of Service attack.
Solution
To implement the recommended configuration state, configure the following UI path to Administrators and (when the

Hyper-V

feature is installed) NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Create symbolic links

Impact:

In most cases there will be no impact because this is the default configuration. However, on Windows Workstations with the Hyper-V feature installed, this user right should also be granted to the special group NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines - otherwise you will not be able to create new virtual machines.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' || ('Administrators' && 'Virtual Machines') || ('Administrators' && 'NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines')
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.15 (L1) Ensure 'Debug programs' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which user accounts will have the right to attach a debugger to any process or to the kernel, which provides complete access to sensitive and critical operating system components. Developers who are debugging their own applications do not need to be assigned this user right; however, developers who are debugging new system components will need it.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

The Debug programs user right can be exploited to capture sensitive computer information from system memory, or to access and modify kernel or application structures. Some attack tools exploit this user right to extract hashed passwords and other private security information, or to insert rootkit code. By default, the Debug programs user right is assigned only to administrators, which helps to mitigate the risk from this vulnerability.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Debug programs

Impact:

If you revoke this user right, no one will be able to debug programs. However, typical circumstances rarely require this capability on production computers. If a problem arises that requires an application to be debugged on a production server, you can move the server to a different OU temporarily and assign the Debug programs user right to a separate Group Policy for that OU.

The service account that is used for the cluster service needs the Debug programs user right; if it does not have it, Windows Clustering will fail.

Tools that are used to manage processes will be unable to affect processes that are not owned by the person who runs the tools. For example, the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tool Kill.exe requires this user right for administrators to terminate processes that they did not start.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 18.2
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.21 (L1) Ensure 'Enable computer and user accounts to be trusted for delegation' is set to 'No One'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to change the Trusted for Delegation setting on a computer object in Active Directory. Abuse of this privilege could allow unauthorized users to impersonate other users on the network.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

Misuse of the Enable computer and user accounts to be trusted for delegation user right could allow unauthorized users to impersonate other users on the network. An attacker could exploit this privilege to gain access to network resources and make it difficult to determine what has happened after a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Enable computer and user accounts to be trusted for delegation

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.22 (L1) Ensure 'Force shutdown from a remote system' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to shut down Windows Vista-based or newer computers from remote locations on the network. Anyone who has been assigned this user right can cause a denial of service (DoS) condition, which would make the computer unavailable to service user requests. Therefore, it is recommended that only highly trusted administrators be assigned this user right.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Any user who can shut down a computer could cause a DoS condition to occur. Therefore, this user right should be tightly restricted.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Force shutdown from a remote system

Impact:

If you remove the Force shutdown from a remote system user right from the Server Operators group you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. You should confirm that delegated activities will not be adversely affected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.25 (L1) Ensure 'Increase scheduling priority' is set to 'Administrators, Window Manager\Window Manager Group'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether users can increase the base priority class of a process. (It is not a privileged operation to increase relative priority within a priority class.) This user right is not required by administrative tools that are supplied with the operating system but might be required by software development tools.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, Window Manager\Window Manager Group

A user who is assigned this user right could increase the scheduling priority of a process to Real-Time, which would leave little processing time for all other processes and could lead to a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, Window Manager\Window Manager Group :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Increase scheduling priority

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
('Administrators' && 'Window Manager Group') || ('Administrators' && 'Window Manager\Window Manager Group')
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'window manager group' && 'administrators'
2.2.26 (L1) Ensure 'Load and unload device drivers' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to dynamically load a new device driver on a system. An attacker could potentially use this capability to install malicious code that appears to be a device driver. This user right is required for users to add local printers or printer drivers in Windows Vista.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

Device drivers run as highly privileged code. A user who has the Load and unload device drivers user right could unintentionally install malicious code that masquerades as a device driver. Administrators should exercise greater care and install only drivers with verified digital signatures.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Load and unload device drivers

Impact:

If you remove the Load and unload device drivers user right from the Print Operators group or other accounts you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. You should ensure that delegated tasks will not be negatively affected.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.27 (L1) Ensure 'Lock pages in memory' is set to 'No One'
-
Info
This policy setting allows a process to keep data in physical memory, which prevents the system from paging the data to virtual memory on disk. If this user right is assigned, significant degradation of system performance can occur.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One

Users with the Lock pages in memory user right could assign physical memory to several processes, which could leave little or no RAM for other processes and result in a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Lock pages in memory

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.30 (L1) Ensure 'Manage auditing and security log' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users can change the auditing options for files and directories and clear the Security log.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

The ability to manage the Security event log is a powerful user right and it should be closely guarded. Anyone with this user right can clear the Security log to erase important evidence of unauthorized activity.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Manage auditing and security log

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.31 (L1) Ensure 'Modify an object label' is set to 'No One'
-
Info
This privilege determines which user accounts can modify the integrity label of objects, such as files, registry keys, or processes owned by other users. Processes running under a user account can modify the label of an object owned by that user to a lower level without this privilege.

The recommended state for this setting is: No One

By modifying the integrity label of an object owned by another user a malicious user may cause them to execute code at a higher level of privilege than intended.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to No One :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Modify an object label

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.2.32 (L1) Ensure 'Modify firmware environment values' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to configure the system-wide environment variables that affect hardware configuration. This information is typically stored in the Last Known Good Configuration. Modification of these values and could lead to a hardware failure that would result in a denial of service condition.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

Anyone who is assigned the Modify firmware environment values user right could configure the settings of a hardware component to cause it to fail, which could lead to data corruption or a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Modify firmware environment values

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.33 (L1) Ensure 'Perform volume maintenance tasks' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to manage the system's volume or disk configuration, which could allow a user to delete a volume and cause data loss as well as a denial-of-service condition.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: A workstation with Microsoft SQL Server installed will require a special exception to this recommendation for the account that runs the SQL Server service to be granted this user right.

A user who is assigned the Perform volume maintenance tasks user right could delete a volume, which could result in the loss of data or a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Perform volume maintenance tasks

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.34 (L1) Ensure 'Profile single process' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which users can use tools to monitor the performance of non-system processes. Typically, you do not need to configure this user right to use the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Performance snap-in. However, you do need this user right if System Monitor is configured to collect data using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). Restricting the Profile single process user right prevents intruders from gaining additional information that could be used to mount an attack on the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

The Profile single process user right presents a moderate vulnerability. An attacker with this user right could monitor a computer's performance to help identify critical processes that they might wish to attack directly. The attacker may also be able to determine what processes run on the computer so that they could identify countermeasures that they may need to avoid, such as antivirus software, an intrusion-detection system, or which other users are logged on to a computer.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Profile single process

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.2.35 (L1) Ensure 'Profile system performance' is set to 'Administrators, NT SERVICE\WdiServiceHost'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to use tools to view the performance of different system processes, which could be abused to allow attackers to determine a system's active processes and provide insight into the potential attack surface of the computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators, NT SERVICE\WdiServiceHost

The Profile system performance user right poses a moderate vulnerability. Attackers with this user right could monitor a computer's performance to help identify critical processes that they might wish to attack directly. Attackers may also be able to determine what processes are active on the computer so that they could identify countermeasures that they may need to avoid, such as antivirus software or an intrusion detection system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators, NT SERVICE\WdiServiceHost :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Profile system performance

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators' && ('NT SERVICE\WdiServiceHost' || 'WdiServiceHost')
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'wdiservicehost' && 'administrators'
2.2.36 (L1) Ensure 'Replace a process level token' is set to 'LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE'
-
Info
This policy setting allows one process or service to start another service or process with a different security access token, which can be used to modify the security access token of that sub-process and result in the escalation of privileges.

The recommended state for this setting is: LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

Users with the Replace a process level token privilege are able to start processes as other users whose credentials they know. They could use this method to hide their unauthorized actions on the computer. (On Windows 2000-based computers, use of the Replace a process level token user right also requires the user to have the Adjust memory quotas for a process user right that is discussed earlier in this section.)
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to LOCAL SERVICE, NETWORK SERVICE :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Replace a process level token

Impact:

On most computers, this is the default configuration and there will be no negative impact. However, if you have installed

Web Server (IIS)

, you will need to allow the IIS application pool(s) to be granted this User Right Assignment.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'LOCAL SERVICE' && 'NETWORK SERVICE'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'network service' && 'local service'
2.2.39 (L1) Ensure 'Take ownership of files or other objects' is set to 'Administrators'
-
Info
This policy setting allows users to take ownership of files, folders, registry keys, processes, or threads. This user right bypasses any permissions that are in place to protect objects to give ownership to the specified user.

The recommended state for this setting is: Administrators

Note: This user right is considered a 'sensitive privilege' for the purposes of auditing.

Any users with the Take ownership of files or other objects user right can take control of any object, regardless of the permissions on that object, and then make any changes they wish to that object. Such changes could result in exposure of data, corruption of data, or a DoS condition.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Administrators :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment\Take ownership of files or other objects

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171 3.1.5
800-171 3.3.8
800-171 3.3.9
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-171R3 03.01.05
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-171R3 03.03.08b.
800-53 AC-2
800-53 AC-3
800-53 AC-6
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53 AC-6(7)
800-53 AU-9(4)
800-53R5 AC-2
800-53R5 AC-5
800-53R5 AC-6
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)
800-53R5 AU-9(4)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(d)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV8 6.8
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ISO/IEC-27001 A.12.4.2
ITSG-33 AC-2
ITSG-33 AC-3
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(a)
ITSG-33 AU-9(4)(b)
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA M1.2.2
NESA M5.2.3
NESA M5.5.2
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SM5
NIAV2 SM6
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS14e
NIAV2 SS15c
NIAV2 SS29
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.5.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.3.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'Administrators'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'administrators'
2.3.1.1 (L1) Ensure 'Accounts: Guest account status' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the Guest account is enabled or disabled. The Guest account allows unauthenticated network users to gain access to the system.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: This setting will have no impact when applied to the Domain Controllers organizational unit via group policy because Domain Controllers have no local account database. It can be configured at the domain level via group policy, similar to account lockout and password policy settings.

The default Guest account allows unauthenticated network users to log on as Guest with no password. These unauthorized users could access any resources that are accessible to the Guest account over the network. This capability means that any network shares with permissions that allow access to the Guest account, the Guests group, or the Everyone group will be accessible over the network, which could lead to the exposure or corruption of data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Guest account status

Impact:

All network users will need to authenticate before they can access shared resources. If you disable the Guest account and the Network Access: Sharing and Security Model option is set to Guest Only, network logons, such as those performed by the Microsoft Network Server (SMB Service), will fail. This policy setting should have little impact on most organizations because it is the default setting in Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server(TM) 2003.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-53 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5
CSCV7 16.8
CSCV8 4.7
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'disabled'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'disabled'
2.3.1.2 (L1) Ensure 'Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether local accounts that are not password protected can be used to log on from locations other than the physical computer console. If you enable this policy setting, local accounts that have blank passwords will not be able to log on to the network from remote client computers. Such accounts will only be able to log on at the keyboard of the computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Blank passwords are a serious threat to computer security and should be forbidden through both organizational policy and suitable technical measures. In fact, the default settings for Active Directory domains require complex passwords of at least seven characters. However, if users with the ability to create new accounts bypass your domain-based password policies, they could create accounts with blank passwords. For example, a user could build a stand-alone computer, create one or more accounts with blank passwords, and then join the computer to the domain. The local accounts with blank passwords would still function. Anyone who knows the name of one of these unprotected accounts could then use it to log on.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV7 4.4
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit: Shut down system immediately if unable to log security audits' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the system shuts down if it is unable to log Security events. It is a requirement for Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC)-C2 and Common Criteria certification to prevent auditable events from occurring if the audit system is unable to log them. Microsoft has chosen to meet this requirement by halting the system and displaying a stop message if the auditing system experiences a failure. When this policy setting is enabled, the system will be shut down if a security audit cannot be logged for any reason.

If the Audit: Shut down system immediately if unable to log security audits setting is enabled, unplanned system failures can occur. The administrative burden can be significant, especially if you also configure the Retention method for the Security log to Do not overwrite events (clear log manually). This configuration causes a repudiation threat (a backup operator could deny that they backed up or restored data) to become a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability, because a server could be forced to shut down if it is overwhelmed with logon events and other security events that are written to the Security log. Also, because the shutdown is not graceful, it is possible that irreparable damage to the operating system, applications, or data could result. Although the NTFS file system guarantees its integrity when an ungraceful computer shutdown occurs, it cannot guarantee that every data file for every application will still be in a usable form when the computer restarts.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If the computer is unable to record events to the Security log, critical evidence or important troubleshooting information may not be available for review after a security incident. Also, an attacker could potentially generate a large volume of Security log events to purposely force a computer shutdown.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Audit: Shut down system immediately if unable to log security audits

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 AU-4
800-53R5 AU-4
CSCV7 6.4
CSCV8 8.3
CSF PR.DS-4
CSF PR.PT-1
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.6
ITSG-33 AU-4
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.3.1
NESA T3.6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.6.1 (L1) Ensure 'Domain member: Digitally encrypt or sign secure channel data (always)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether all secure channel traffic that is initiated by the domain member must be signed or encrypted.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When a computer joins a domain, a computer account is created. After it joins the domain, the computer uses the password for that account to create a secure channel with the Domain Controller for its domain every time that it restarts. Requests that are sent on the secure channel are authenticated-and sensitive information such as passwords are encrypted-but the channel is not integrity-checked, and not all information is encrypted.

Digital encryption and signing of the secure channel is a good idea where it is supported. The secure channel protects domain credentials as they are sent to the Domain Controller.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Domain member: Digitally encrypt or sign secure channel data (always)

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. However, only Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6a (SP6a) and subsequent versions of the Windows operating system support digital encryption and signing of the secure channel. Windows 98 Second Edition clients do not support it unless they have Dsclient installed. Therefore, you cannot enable the Domain member: Digitally encrypt or sign secure channel data (always) setting on Domain Controllers that support Windows 98 clients as members of the domain. Potential impacts can include the following:

- The ability to create or delete trust relationships with clients running versions of Windows earlier than Windows NT 4.0 with SP6a will be disabled.
- Logons from clients running versions of Windows earlier than Windows NT 4.0 with SP6a will be disabled.
- The ability to authenticate other domains' users from a Domain Controller running a version of Windows earlier than Windows NT 4.0 with SP6a in a trusted domain will be disabled.

You can enable this policy setting after you eliminate all Windows 9x clients from the domain and upgrade all Windows NT 4.0 servers and Domain Controllers from trusted/trusting domains to Windows NT 4.0 with SP6a.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 14.4
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.6.2 (L1) Ensure 'Domain member: Digitally encrypt secure channel data (when possible)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether a domain member should attempt to negotiate encryption for all secure channel traffic that it initiates.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When a computer joins a domain, a computer account is created. After it joins the domain, the computer uses the password for that account to create a secure channel with the Domain Controller for its domain every time that it restarts. Requests that are sent on the secure channel are authenticated-and sensitive information such as passwords are encrypted-but the channel is not integrity-checked, and not all information is encrypted.

Digital encryption and signing of the secure channel is a good idea where it is supported. The secure channel protects domain credentials as they are sent to the Domain Controller.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Domain member: Digitally encrypt secure channel data (when possible)

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. However, only Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a (SP6a) and subsequent versions of the Windows operating system support digital encryption and signing of the secure channel. Windows 98 Second Edition clients do not support it unless they have Dsclient installed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 14.4
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.6.3 (L1) Ensure 'Domain member: Digitally sign secure channel data (when possible)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether a domain member should attempt to negotiate whether all secure channel traffic that it initiates must be digitally signed. Digital signatures protect the traffic from being modified by anyone who captures the data as it traverses the network.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

When a computer joins a domain, a computer account is created. After it joins the domain, the computer uses the password for that account to create a secure channel with the Domain Controller for its domain every time that it restarts. Requests that are sent on the secure channel are authenticated-and sensitive information such as passwords are encrypted-but the channel is not integrity-checked, and not all information is encrypted.

Digital encryption and signing of the secure channel is a good idea where it is supported. The secure channel protects domain credentials as they are sent to the Domain Controller.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Domain member: Digitally sign secure channel data (when possible)

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. However, only Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6a (SP6a) and subsequent versions of the Windows operating system support digital encryption and signing of the secure channel. Windows 98 Second Edition clients do not support it unless they have Dsclient installed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.6.4 (L1) Ensure 'Domain member: Disable machine account password changes' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether a domain member can periodically change its computer account password. Computers that cannot automatically change their account passwords are potentially vulnerable, because an attacker might be able to determine the password for the system's domain account.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: Some problems can occur as a result of machine account password expiration, particularly if a machine is reverted to a previous point-in-time state, as is common with virtual machines. Depending on how far back the reversion is, the older machine account password stored on the machine may no longer be recognized by the domain controllers, and therefore the computer loses its domain trust. This can also disrupt non-persistent VDI implementations, and devices with write filters that disallow permanent changes to the OS volume. Some organizations may choose to exempt themselves from this recommendation and disable machine account password expiration for these situations.

The default configuration for Windows Server 2003-based computers that belong to a domain is that they are automatically required to change the passwords for their accounts every 30 days. If you disable this policy setting, computers that run Windows Server 2003 will retain the same passwords as their computer accounts. Computers that are no longer able to automatically change their account password are at risk from an attacker who could determine the password for the computer's domain account.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Domain member: Disable machine account password changes

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(1)
800-53R5 AC-2(1)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CSCV8 5.6
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2(1)
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SS14e
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.6.5 (L1) Ensure 'Domain member: Maximum machine account password age' is set to '30 or fewer days, but not 0'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the maximum allowable age for a computer account password. By default, domain members automatically change their domain passwords every 30 days. If you increase this interval significantly so that the computers no longer change their passwords, an attacker would have more time to undertake a brute force attack against one of the computer accounts.

The recommended state for this setting is: 30 or fewer days, but not 0

Note: A value of 0 does not conform to the benchmark as it disables maximum password age.

Note #2: Some problems can occur as a result of machine account password expiration, particularly if a machine is reverted to a previous point-in-time state, as is common with virtual machines. Depending on how far back the reversion is, the older machine account password stored on the machine may no longer be recognized by the domain controllers, and therefore the computer loses its domain trust. This can also disrupt non-persistent VDI implementations, and devices with write filters that disallow permanent changes to the OS volume. Some organizations may choose to exempt themselves from this recommendation and disable machine account password expiration for these situations.

In Active Directory-based domains, each computer has an account and password just like every user. By default, the domain members automatically change their domain password every 30 days. If you increase this interval significantly, or set it to 0 so that the computers no longer change their passwords, an attacker will have more time to undertake a brute force attack to guess the password of one or more computer accounts.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 30 or fewer days, but not 0 :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Domain member: Maximum machine account password age

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSCV8 5.2
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..30]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

30
2.3.6.6 (L1) Ensure 'Domain member: Require strong (Windows 2000 or later) session key' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
When this policy setting is enabled, a secure channel can only be established with Domain Controllers that are capable of encrypting secure channel data with a strong (128-bit) session key.

To enable this policy setting, all Domain Controllers in the domain must be able to encrypt secure channel data with a strong key, which means all Domain Controllers must be running Microsoft Windows 2000 or newer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Session keys that are used to establish secure channel communications between Domain Controllers and member computers are much stronger in Windows 2000 than they were in previous Microsoft operating systems. Whenever possible, you should take advantage of these stronger session keys to help protect secure channel communications from attacks that attempt to hijack network sessions and eavesdropping. (Eavesdropping is a form of hacking in which network data is read or altered in transit. The data can be modified to hide or change the sender, or be redirected.)
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Domain member: Require strong (Windows 2000 or later) session key

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. However, computers will not be able to join Windows NT 4.0 domains, and trusts between Active Directory domains and Windows NT-style domains may not work properly.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.7.8 (L1) Ensure 'Interactive logon: Prompt user to change password before expiration' is set to 'between 5 and 14 days'
-
Info
This policy setting determines how far in advance users are warned that their password will expire. It is recommended that you configure this policy setting to at least 5 days but no more than 14 days to sufficiently warn users when their passwords will expire.

The recommended state for this setting is: between 5 and 14 days

Users will need to be warned that their passwords are going to expire, or they may inadvertently be locked out of the computer when their passwords expire. This condition could lead to confusion for users who access the network locally, or make it impossible for users to access your organization's network through dial-up or virtual private network (VPN) connections.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to a value between 5 and 14 days :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Interactive logon: Prompt user to change password before expiration

Impact:

Users will see a dialog box prompt to change their password each time that they log on to the domain when their password is configured to expire between 5 and 14 days.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[5..14]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

5
2.3.8.2 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network client: Digitally sign communications (if server agrees)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the SMB client will attempt to negotiate SMB packet signing.

Note: Enabling this policy setting on SMB clients on your network makes them fully effective for packet signing with all clients and servers in your environment.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Session hijacking uses tools that allow attackers who have access to the same network as the client or server to interrupt, end, or steal a session in progress. Attackers can potentially intercept and modify unsigned SMB packets and then modify the traffic and forward it so that the server might perform undesirable actions. Alternatively, the attacker could pose as the server or client after legitimate authentication and gain unauthorized access to data.

SMB is the resource sharing protocol that is supported by many Windows operating systems. It is the basis of NetBIOS and many other protocols. SMB signatures authenticate both users and the servers that host the data. If either side fails the authentication process, data transmission will not take place.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network client: Digitally sign communications (if server agrees)

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.

The Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista implementations of the SMB file and print sharing protocol support mutual authentication, which prevents session hijacking attacks and supports message authentication to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. SMB signing provides this authentication by placing a digital signature into each SMB, which is then verified by both the client and the server.

Implementation of SMB signing may negatively affect performance, because each packet needs to be signed and verified. If these settings are enabled on a server that is performing multiple roles, such as a small business server that is serving as a Domain Controller, file server, print server, and application server performance may be substantially slowed. Additionally, if you configure computers to ignore all unsigned SMB communications, older applications and operating systems will not be able to connect. However, if you completely disable all SMB signing, computers will be vulnerable to session hijacking attacks.

When SMB signing policies are enabled on Domain Controllers running Windows Server 2003 and member computers running Windows Vista SP1 or Windows Server 2008 group policy processing will fail. A hotfix is available from Microsoft that resolves this issue; see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 950876 for more details:

Group Policy settings are not applied on member computers that are running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista SP1 when certain SMB signing policies are enabled

.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.8.3 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network client: Send unencrypted password to third-party SMB servers' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the SMB redirector will send plaintext passwords during authentication to third-party SMB servers that do not support password encryption.

It is recommended that you disable this policy setting unless there is a strong business case to enable it. If this policy setting is enabled, unencrypted passwords will be allowed across the network.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If you enable this policy setting, the server can transmit passwords in plaintext across the network to other computers that offer SMB services, which is a significant security risk. These other computers may not use any of the SMB security mechanisms that are included with Windows Server 2003.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network client: Send unencrypted password to third-party SMB servers

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.

Some very old applications and operating systems such as MS-DOS, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and Windows 95a may not be able to communicate with the servers in your organization by means of the SMB protocol.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.9.1 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network server: Amount of idle time required before suspending session' is set to '15 or fewer minute(s)'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to specify the amount of continuous idle time that must pass in an SMB session before the session is suspended because of inactivity. Administrators can use this policy setting to control when a computer suspends an inactive SMB session. If client activity resumes, the session is automatically reestablished.

The maximum value is 99999, which is over 69 days; in effect, this value disables the setting.

The recommended state for this setting is: 15 or fewer minute(s)

Each SMB session consumes server resources, and numerous null sessions will slow the server or possibly cause it to fail. An attacker could repeatedly establish SMB sessions until the server's SMB services become slow or unresponsive.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 15 or fewer minute(s) :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network server: Amount of idle time required before suspending session

Impact:

There will be little impact because SMB sessions will be re-established automatically if the client resumes activity.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.10
800-171R3 03.01.10
800-53 AC-11
800-53R5 AC-11
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(b)
CSCV7 16.11
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.7.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.11.2.8
ITSG-33 AC-11
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 AM23c
NIAV2 AM23d
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 8.1.8
PCI-DSSV4.0 8.2.8
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
[1..15]
Hosts

192.168.0.185

15
2.3.9.4 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft network server: Disconnect clients when logon hours expire' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This security setting determines whether to disconnect users who are connected to the local computer outside their user account's valid logon hours. This setting affects the Server Message Block (SMB) component. If you enable this policy setting you should also enable

Network security: Force logoff when logon hours expire

(Rule 2.3.11.6).

If your organization configures logon hours for users, this policy setting is necessary to ensure they are effective.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

If your organization configures logon hours for users, then it makes sense to enable this policy setting. Otherwise, users who should not have access to network resources outside of their logon hours may actually be able to continue to use those resources with sessions that were established during allowed hours.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Microsoft network server: Disconnect clients when logon hours expire

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. If logon hours are not used in your organization, this policy setting will have no impact. If logon hours are used, existing user sessions will be forcibly terminated when their logon hours expire.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.2
800-171R3 03.01.01
800-53 AC-2(12)
800-53R5 AC-2(12)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(d)
CSCV7 16.13
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.16
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.1
ITSG-33 AC-2
LEVEL 1A
NESA M5.3.1
NIAV2 AM28
NIAV2 NS5j
NIAV2 SS14e
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 13.2
QCSC-V1 15.2
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.10.1 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Allow anonymous SID/Name translation' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether an anonymous user can request security identifier (SID) attributes for another user, or use a SID to obtain its corresponding user name.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If this policy setting is enabled, a user with local access could use the well-known Administrator's SID to learn the real name of the built-in Administrator account, even if it has been renamed. That person could then use the account name to initiate a password guessing attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Allow anonymous SID/Name translation

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171 3.5.3
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-171R3 03.05.03
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53 IA-2(2)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 IA-2(2)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(e)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
ITSG-33 IA-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM2
NIAV2 AM8
NIAV2 AM14b
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 1.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
TBA-FIISB 35.1
TBA-FIISB 36.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'disabled'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'disabled'
2.3.10.2 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the ability of anonymous users to enumerate the accounts in the Security Accounts Manager (SAM). If you enable this policy setting, users with anonymous connections will not be able to enumerate domain account user names on the systems in your environment. This policy setting also allows additional restrictions on anonymous connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: This policy has no effect on Domain Controllers.

An unauthorized user could anonymously list account names and use the information to attempt to guess passwords or perform social engineering attacks. (Social engineering attacks try to deceive users in some way to obtain passwords or some form of security information.)
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. It will be impossible to establish trusts with Windows NT 4.0-based domains. Also, client computers that run older versions of the Windows operating system such as Windows NT 3.51 and Windows 95 will experience problems when they try to use resources on the server.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.10.5 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines what additional permissions are assigned for anonymous connections to the computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

An unauthorized user could anonymously list account names and shared resources and use the information to attempt to guess passwords, perform social engineering attacks, or launch DoS attacks.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.10.6 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Named Pipes that can be accessed anonymously' is set to 'None'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which communication sessions, or pipes, will have attributes and permissions that allow anonymous access.

The recommended state for this setting is: <blank> (i.e. None).

Limiting named pipes that can be accessed anonymously will reduce the attack surface of the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to <blank> (i.e. None):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Named Pipes that can be accessed anonymously

Impact:

This configuration will disable null session access over named pipes, and applications that rely on this feature or on unauthenticated access to named pipes will no longer function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.3
800-171R3 03.05.03
800-53 IA-2(2)
800-53R5 IA-2(2)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(e)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(a)
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ITSG-33 IA-2(2)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.4.2
NIAV2 AM2
NIAV2 AM8
NIAV2 AM14b
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 1.2
TBA-FIISB 35.1
TBA-FIISB 36.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

''
2.3.10.7 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths' is configured
-
Info
This policy setting determines which registry paths will be accessible over the network, regardless of the users or groups listed in the access control list (ACL) of the winreg registry key.

Note: This setting does not exist in Windows XP. There was a setting with that name in Windows XP, but it is called 'Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths and sub-paths' in Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 (non-R2).

Note #2: When you configure this setting you specify a list of one or more objects. The delimiter used when entering the list is a line feed or carriage return, that is, type the first object on the list, press the Enter button, type the next object, press Enter again, etc. The setting value is stored as a comma-delimited list in group policy security templates. It is also rendered as a comma-delimited list in Group Policy Editor's display pane and the Resultant Set of Policy console. It is recorded in the registry as a line-feed delimited list in a REG_MULTI_SZ value.

The recommended state for this setting is:

System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Server Applications Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

The registry is a database that contains computer configuration information, and much of the information is sensitive. An attacker could use this information to facilitate unauthorized activities. To reduce the risk of such an attack, suitable ACLs are assigned throughout the registry to help protect it from access by unauthorized users.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Server Applications SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. However, if you remove the default registry paths from the list of accessible ones, remote management tools such as the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and Microsoft Systems Management Server could fail, as they require remote access to the registry to properly monitor and manage computers.

Note: If you want to allow remote access, you must also enable the Remote Registry service.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05d.
800-53 AC-6(7)(b)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA T5.1.1
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Server Applications' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Server Applications' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion'
2.3.10.8 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths and sub-paths' is configured
-
Info
This policy setting determines which registry paths and sub-paths will be accessible over the network, regardless of the users or groups listed in the access control list (ACL) of the winreg registry key.

Note: In Windows XP this setting is called 'Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths,' the setting with that same name in Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 (non-R2), and Windows Server 2003 does not exist in Windows XP.

Note #2: When you configure this setting you specify a list of one or more objects. The delimiter used when entering the list is a line feed or carriage return, that is, type the first object on the list, press the Enter button, type the next object, press Enter again, etc. The setting value is stored as a comma-delimited list in group policy security templates. It is also rendered as a comma-delimited list in Group Policy Editor's display pane and the Resultant Set of Policy console. It is recorded in the registry as a line-feed delimited list in a REG_MULTI_SZ value.

The recommended state for this setting is:

System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog Software\Microsoft\OLAP Server Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\UserConfig System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\DefaultUserConfiguration Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SysmonLog

The registry contains sensitive computer configuration information that could be used by an attacker to facilitate unauthorized activities. The fact that the default ACLs assigned throughout the registry are fairly restrictive and help to protect the registry from access by unauthorized users reduces the risk of such an attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLAP Server SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\UserConfig System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\DefaultUserConfiguration SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SysmonLog

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Remotely accessible registry paths and sub-paths

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. However, if you remove the default registry paths from the list of accessible ones, remote management tools such as the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and Microsoft Systems Management Server could fail, as they require remote access to the registry to properly monitor and manage computers.

Note: If you want to allow remote access, you must also enable the Remote Registry service.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05d.
800-53 AC-6(7)(b)
800-53R5 AC-6(7)(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.2.5
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA M1.1.3
NESA T5.1.1
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog' && 'Software\Microsoft\OLAP Server' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\UserConfig' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\DefaultUserConfiguration' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sysmonlog'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog' && 'Software\Microsoft\OLAP Server' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\UserConfig' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\DefaultUserConfiguration' && 'Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib' && 'System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SysmonLog'
2.3.10.9 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Restrict anonymous access to Named Pipes and Shares' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
When enabled, this policy setting restricts anonymous access to only those shares and pipes that are named in the Network access: Named pipes that can be accessed anonymously and Network access: Shares that can be accessed anonymously settings. This policy setting controls null session access to shares on your computers by adding RestrictNullSessAccess with the value 1 in the

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManServer\Parameters

registry key. This registry value toggles null session shares on or off to control whether the server service restricts unauthenticated clients' access to named resources.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Null sessions are a weakness that can be exploited through shares (including the default shares) on computers in your environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Restrict anonymous access to Named Pipes and Shares

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. If you choose to enable this setting and are supporting Windows NT 4.0 domains, you should check if any of the named pipes are required to maintain trust relationships between the domains, and then add the pipe to the Network access: Named pipes that can be accessed anonymously list:

- COMNAP: SNA session access
- COMNODE: SNA session access
- SQL\QUERY: SQL instance access
- SPOOLSS: Spooler service
- LLSRPC: License Logging service
- NETLOGON: Net Logon service
- LSARPC: LSA access
- SAMR: Remote access to SAM objects
- BROWSER: Computer Browser service

Previous to the release of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) these named pipes were allowed anonymous access by default, but with the increased hardening in Windows Server 2003 with SP1 these pipes must be explicitly added if needed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.7
800-171R3 03.01.07a.
800-53 AC-6(10)
800-53R5 AC-6(10)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.10.11 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Shares that can be accessed anonymously' is set to 'None'
-
Info
This policy setting determines which network shares can be accessed by anonymous users. The default configuration for this policy setting has little effect because all users have to be authenticated before they can access shared resources on the server.

The recommended state for this setting is: <blank> (i.e. None).

It is very dangerous to allow any values in this setting. Any shares that are listed can be accessed by any network user, which could lead to the exposure or corruption of sensitive data.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to <blank> (i.e. None):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Shares that can be accessed anonymously

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.1
800-171R3 03.01.02
800-53 AC-3
800-53R5 AC-3
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(f)
CN-L3 8.1.4.11(b)
CN-L3 8.1.10.2(c)
CN-L3 8.5.3.1
CN-L3 8.5.4.1(a)
CSCV7 14.6
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.3
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.5
ITSG-33 AC-3
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.2.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.2
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM3
NIAV2 SS29
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 31.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
''
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
2.3.10.12 (L1) Ensure 'Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts' is set to 'Classic - local users authenticate as themselves'
-
Info
This policy setting determines how network logons that use local accounts are authenticated. The Classic option allows precise control over access to resources, including the ability to assign different types of access to different users for the same resource. The Guest only option allows you to treat all users equally. In this context, all users authenticate as Guest only to receive the same access level to a given resource.

The recommended state for this setting is: Classic - local users authenticate as themselves

Note: This setting does not affect interactive logons that are performed remotely by using such services as Telnet or Remote Desktop Services (formerly called Terminal Services).

With the Guest only model, any user who can authenticate to your computer over the network does so with guest privileges, which probably means that they will not have write access to shared resources on that computer. Although this restriction does increase security, it makes it more difficult for authorized users to access shared resources on those computers because ACLs on those resources must include access control entries (ACEs) for the Guest account. With the Classic model, local accounts should be password protected. Otherwise, if Guest access is enabled, anyone can use those user accounts to access shared system resources.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Classic - local users authenticate as themselves :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts

Impact:

None - this is the default configuration for domain-joined computers.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

0
2.3.11.5 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: Do not store LAN Manager hash value on next password change' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether the LAN Manager (LM) hash value for the new password is stored when the password is changed. The LM hash is relatively weak and prone to attack compared to the cryptographically stronger Microsoft Windows NT hash. Since LM hashes are stored on the local computer in the security database, passwords can then be easily compromised if the database is attacked.

Note: Older operating systems and some third-party applications may fail when this policy setting is enabled. Also, note that the password will need to be changed on all accounts after you enable this setting to gain the proper benefit.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

The SAM file can be targeted by attackers who seek access to username and password hashes. Such attacks use special tools to crack passwords, which can then be used to impersonate users and gain access to resources on your network. These types of attacks will not be prevented if you enable this policy setting, but it will be much more difficult for these types of attacks to succeed.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: Do not store LAN Manager hash value on next password change

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. Earlier operating systems such as Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME as well as some third-party applications will fail.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.16
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-28
800-53 SC-28(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-28
800-53R5 SC-28(1)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(b)
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 3.11
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.DS-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iv)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(ii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-28
ITSG-33 SC-28a.
ITSG-33 SC-28(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 3.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.3.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 28.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.11.8 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: LDAP client encryption requirements' is set to 'Negotiate sealing' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting determines the level of data encryption that is requested on behalf of clients that issue LDAP BIND requests.

The recommended state for this setting is: Negotiate sealing Configuring this setting to Require sealing also conforms to the Benchmark.

Note: This policy setting does not have any impact on LDAP simple bind ( ldap_simple_bind ) or LDAP simple bind through SSL ( ldap_simple_bind_s ).

Unencrypted network traffic is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks in which an intruder captures the packets between the client and server, modifies them, and then forwards them to the server. For an LDAP server, this susceptibility means that an attacker could cause a server to make decisions that are based on false or altered data from the LDAP queries. To lower this risk in your network, you can implement strong physical security measures to protect the network infrastructure. Also, you can make all types of man-in-the-middle attacks extremely difficult if you require encryption on all network packets by means of IPsec authentication headers.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Negotiate sealing or higher:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: LDAP client encryption requirements

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.

However, if this setting is configured to

require

LDAP encryption on the server, then it must also be configured to

require

on the client. If it is not configured on the client, it will not be able to communicate with the server, which could cause features to fail, including user authentication, Group Policy, and logon scripts. This is because the caller will be told that the LDAP BIND command request failed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171R3 03.05.02
800-53 IA-3(1)
800-53R5 IA-3(1)
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
ITSG-33 IA-3(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.4.3
QCSC-V1 13.2
TBA-FIISB 27.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.11.9 (L1) Ensure 'Network security: LDAP client signing requirements' is set to 'Negotiate signing' or higher
-
Info
This policy setting determines the level of data signing that is requested on behalf of clients that issue LDAP BIND requests.

Note: This policy setting does not have any impact on LDAP simple bind ( ldap_simple_bind ) or LDAP simple bind through SSL ( ldap_simple_bind_s ). No Microsoft LDAP clients that are included with Windows XP Professional use ldap_simple_bind or ldap_simple_bind_s to communicate with a Domain Controller.

The recommended state for this setting is: Negotiate signing Configuring this setting to Require signing also conforms to the Benchmark.

Unsigned network traffic is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks in which an intruder captures the packets between the client and server, modifies them, and then forwards them to the server. For an LDAP server, this susceptibility means that an attacker could cause a server to make decisions that are based on false or altered data from the LDAP queries. To lower this risk in your network, you can implement strong physical security measures to protect the network infrastructure. Also, you can make all types of man-in-the-middle attacks extremely difficult if you require digital signatures on all network packets by means of IPsec authentication headers.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Negotiate signing (configuring to Require signing also conforms to the benchmark):

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Network security: LDAP client signing requirements

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. However, if you choose instead to configure the server to

require

LDAP signatures then you must also configure the client. If you do not configure the client it will not be able to communicate with the server, which could cause many features to fail, including user authentication, Group Policy, and logon scripts, because the caller will be told that the LDAP BIND command request failed.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 12.5
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1 || 2
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.15.1 (L1) Ensure 'System objects: Require case insensitivity for non-Windows subsystems' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines whether case insensitivity is enforced for all subsystems. The Microsoft Win32 subsystem is case insensitive. However, the kernel supports case sensitivity for other subsystems, such as the Portable Operating System Interface for UNIX (POSIX). Because Windows is case insensitive (but the POSIX subsystem will support case sensitivity), failure to enforce this policy setting makes it possible for a user of the POSIX subsystem to create a file with the same name as another file by using mixed case to label it. Such a situation can block access to these files by another user who uses typical Win32 tools, because only one of the files will be available.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Because Windows is case-insensitive but the POSIX subsystem will support case sensitivity, failure to enable this policy setting would make it possible for a user of that subsystem to create a file with the same name as another file but with a different mix of upper and lower case letters. Such a situation could potentially confuse users when they try to access such files from normal Win32 tools because only one of the files will be available.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\System objects: Require case insensitivity for non-Windows subsystems

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171R3 03.04.02a.
800-53 CM-6b.
800-53R5 CM-6b.
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(d)
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6b.
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.15.2 (L1) Ensure 'System objects: Strengthen default permissions of internal system objects (e.g. Symbolic Links)' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting determines the strength of the default discretionary access control list (DACL) for objects. Active Directory maintains a global list of shared system resources, such as DOS device names, mutexes, and semaphores. In this way, objects can be located and shared among processes. Each type of object is created with a default DACL that specifies who can access the objects and what permissions are granted.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This setting determines the strength of the default DACL for objects. Windows maintains a global list of shared computer resources so that objects can be located and shared among processes. Each type of object is created with a default DACL that specifies who can access the objects and with what permissions.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\System objects: Strengthen default permissions of internal system objects (e.g. Symbolic Links)

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.1
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.17.4 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the behavior of application installation detection for the computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Some malicious software will attempt to install itself after being given permission to run. For example, malicious software with a trusted application shell. The user may have given permission for the program to run because the program is trusted, but if they are then prompted for installation of an unknown component this provides another way of trapping the software before it can do damage
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation

Impact:

When an application installation package is detected that requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted to enter an administrative user name and password. If the user enters valid credentials, the operation continues with the applicable privilege.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-53 AC-6(8)
800-53R5 AC-6(8)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.17.5 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether applications that request to run with a User Interface Accessibility (UIAccess) integrity level must reside in a secure location in the file system. Secure locations are limited to the following:

- ...\Program Files\ including subfolders
- ...\Windows\System32\
- ...\Program Files (x86)\ including subfolders (for 64-bit versions of Windows)

Note: Windows enforces a public key infrastructure (PKI) signature check on any interactive application that requests to run with a UIAccess integrity level regardless of the state of this security setting.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

UIAccess Integrity allows an application to bypass User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) restrictions when an application is elevated in privilege from a standard user to an administrator. This is required to support accessibility features such as screen readers that are transmitting user interfaces to alternative forms. A process that is started with UIAccess rights has the following abilities:

- To set the foreground window.
- To drive any application window using SendInput function.
- To use read input for all integrity levels using low-level hooks, raw input, GetKeyState, GetAsyncKeyState, and GetKeyboardInput.
- To set journal hooks.
- To uses AttachThreadInput to attach a thread to a higher integrity input queue.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05a.
800-53 AC-6(8)
800-53R5 AC-6(8)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ITSG-33 AC-6
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.2.2
NESA T5.4.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.4.5
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM1
NIAV2 AM23f
NIAV2 SS13c
NIAV2 SS15c
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.17.6 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls the behavior of all User Account Control (UAC) policy settings for the computer. If you change this policy setting, you must restart your computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: If this policy setting is disabled, the Security Center notifies you that the overall security of the operating system has been reduced.

This is the setting that turns on or off UAC. If this setting is disabled, UAC will not be used and any security benefits and risk mitigations that are dependent on UAC will not be present on the system.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior. Users and administrators will need to learn to work with UAC prompts and adjust their work habits to use least privilege operations.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.17.7 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether the elevation request prompt is displayed on the interactive user's desktop or the secure desktop.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Standard elevation prompt dialog boxes can be spoofed, which may cause users to disclose their passwords to malicious software. The secure desktop presents a very distinct appearance when prompting for elevation, where the user desktop dims, and the elevation prompt UI is more prominent. This increases the likelihood that users who become accustomed to the secure desktop will recognize a spoofed elevation prompt dialog box and not fall for the trick.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.5
800-171R3 03.01.05b.
800-53 AC-6(1)
800-53R5 AC-6(1)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(b)
CN-L3 7.1.3.2(g)
CN-L3 8.1.4.2(d)
CN-L3 8.1.10.6(a)
CSF PR.AC-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.15
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.18
ISO/IEC-27001 A.9.4.4
ITSG-33 AC-6(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.1.1
NESA T5.4.4
NESA T5.5.4
NESA T5.6.1
NESA T7.5.3
NIAV2 AM31
NIAV2 GS3
NIAV2 GS4
NIAV2 GS8c
NIAV2 VL3b
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 7.1.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 7.2.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 5.1
TBA-FIISB 31.4.2
TBA-FIISB 31.4.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
2.3.17.8 (L1) Ensure 'User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations' is set to 'Enabled'
-
Info
This policy setting controls whether application write failures are redirected to defined registry and file system locations. This policy setting mitigates applications that run as administrator and write run-time application data to:

- %ProgramFiles%
- %windir%
- %windir%\System32
- HKLM\SOFTWARE

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

This setting reduces vulnerabilities by ensuring that legacy applications only write data to permitted locations.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-53 SC-29(1)
800-53R5 SC-29(1)
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ITSG-33 SC-29
ITSG-33 SC-29a.
LEVEL 1A
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
1
Hosts

192.168.0.185

1
5.3 (L1) Ensure 'Computer Browser (Browser)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Maintains an updated list of computers on the network and supplies this list to computers designated as browsers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: In Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, this service is bundled with the

SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support

optional feature. As a result, removing that feature (highly recommended unless backward compatibility is needed to XP/2003 and older Windows OSes - see

Stop using SMB1 | Storage at Microsoft

) will also remediate this recommendation. The feature is not installed by default starting with Windows 10 R1709.

This is a legacy service - its sole purpose is to maintain a list of computers and their network shares in the environment (i.e. 'Network Neighborhood'). If enabled, it generates a lot of unnecessary traffic, including 'elections' to see who gets to be the 'master browser'. This noisy traffic could also aid malicious attackers in discovering online machines, because the service also allows anyone to 'browse' for shared resources without any authentication. This service used to be running by default in older Windows versions (e.g. Windows XP), but today it only remains for backward compatibility for very old software that requires it.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Computer Browser

Impact:

The list of computers and their shares on the network will not be updated or maintained.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.7 (L1) Ensure 'IIS Admin Service (IISADMIN)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Enables the server to administer the IIS metabase. The IIS metabase stores configuration for the SMTP and FTP services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Internet Information Services

).

Note #2: An organization may choose to selectively grant exceptions to web developers to allow IIS (or another web server) on their workstation, in order for them to locally test & develop web pages. However, the organization should track those machines and ensure the security controls and mitigations are kept up to date, to reduce risk of compromise.

Hosting a website from a workstation is an increased security risk, as the attack surface of that workstation is then greatly increased. If proper security mitigations are not followed, the chance of successful attack increases significantly.

Note: This security concern applies to

any

web server application installed on a workstation, not just IIS.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\IIS Admin Service

Impact:

IIS will not function, including Web, SMTP or FTP services.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.8 (L1) Ensure 'Infrared monitor service (irmon)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Detects other Infrared devices that are in range and launches the file transfer application.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Infrared connections can potentially be a source of data compromise - especially via the automatic 'file transfer application' functionality. Enterprise-managed systems should utilize a more secure method of connection than infrared.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Infrared monitor service

Impact:

Infrared file transfers will be prevented from working.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.10 (L1) Ensure 'LxssManager (LxssManager)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
The LXSS Manager service supports running native ELF binaries. The service provides the infrastructure necessary for ELF binaries to run on Windows.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Windows Subsystem for Linux

).

The Linux Subsystem (LXSS) Manager allows full system access to Linux applications on Windows, including the file system. While this can certainly have some functionality and performance benefits for running those applications, it also creates new security risks in the event that a hacker injects malicious code into a Linux application. For best security, it is preferred to run Linux applications on Linux, and Windows applications on Windows.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\LxssManager

Impact:

The Linux Subsystem will not be available, and native ELF binaries will no longer run.

Note: If your organization has made an exception to this recommendation and is using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (SharedAccess) service will need to be Enabled for WSL to function. For more information, please visit the following Microsoft Blog:

Troubleshooting Windows Subsystem for Linux | Microsoft Docs
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.11 (L1) Ensure 'Microsoft FTP Service (FTPSVC)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Enables the server to be a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Internet Information Services - FTP Server

).

Hosting an FTP server (especially a non-secure FTP server) from a workstation is an increased security risk, as the attack surface of that workstation is then greatly increased.

Note: This security concern applies to

any

FTP server application installed on a workstation, not just IIS.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Microsoft FTP Service

Impact:

The computer will not function as an FTP server.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.13 (L1) Ensure 'OpenSSH SSH Server (sshd)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
SSH protocol based service to provide secure encrypted communications between two untrusted hosts over an insecure network.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but it is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

OpenSSH Server

).

Hosting an SSH server from a workstation is an increased security risk, as the attack surface of that workstation is then greatly increased.

Note: This security concern applies to

any

SSH server application installed on a workstation, not just the one supplied with Windows.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\OpenSSH SSH Server

Impact:

The workstation will not be permitted to be a SSH host server.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.22 (L1) Ensure 'Routing and Remote Access (RemoteAccess)' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
Offers routing services to businesses in local area and wide area network environments.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This service's main purpose is to provide Windows router functionality - this is not an appropriate use of workstations in an enterprise managed environment.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Routing and Remote Access

Impact:

The computer will not be able to be configured as a Windows router between different connections.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

4
5.24 (L1) Ensure 'Simple TCP/IP Services (simptcp)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Supports the following TCP/IP services: Character Generator, Daytime, Discard, Echo, and Quote of the Day.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Simple TCPIP services (i.e. echo, daytime etc)

).

The Simple TCP/IP Services have very little purpose in a modern enterprise environment - allowing them might increase exposure and risk for attack.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Simple TCP/IP Services

Impact:

The Simple TCP/IP services (Character Generator, Daytime, Discard, Echo and Quote of the Day) will not be available.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.25 (L2) Ensure 'SNMP Service (SNMP)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Enables Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) requests to be processed by this computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

).

Features that enable inbound network connections increase the attack surface. In a high security environment, management of secure workstations should be handled locally.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\SNMP Service

Impact:

The computer will be unable to process SNMP requests.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.26 (L1) Ensure 'Special Administration Console Helper (sacsvr)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
This service allows administrators to remotely access a command prompt using Emergency Management Services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but it is installed by enabling an optional Windows capability (

Windows Emergency Management Services and Serial Console

).

Allowing the use of a remotely accessible command prompt that provides the ability to perform remote management tasks on a computer is a security risk.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Special Administration Console Helper

Impact:

Users will not have access to a remote command prompt using Emergency Management Services.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.29 (L1) Ensure 'Web Management Service (WMSvc)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
The Web Management Service enables remote and delegated management capabilities for administrators to manage for the Web server, sites and applications present on the machine.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Internet Information Services - Web Management Tools - IIS Management Service

).

Remote web administration of IIS on a workstation is an increased security risk, as the attack surface of that workstation is then greatly increased. If proper security mitigations are not followed, the chance of successful attack increases significantly.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Web Management Service

Impact:

Remote web-based management of IIS will not be available.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
5.38 (L1) Ensure 'World Wide Web Publishing Service (W3SVC)' is set to 'Disabled' or 'Not Installed'
-
Info
Provides Web connectivity and administration through the Internet Information Services Manager.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled or Not Installed

Note: This service is not installed by default. It is supplied with Windows, but is installed by enabling an optional Windows feature (

Internet Information Services - World Wide Web Services

).

Note #2: An organization may choose to selectively grant exceptions to web developers to allow IIS (or another web server) on their workstation, in order for them to locally test and develop web pages. However, the organization should track those machines and ensure the security controls and mitigations are kept up to date, to reduce risk of compromise.

Hosting a website from a workstation is an increased security risk, as the attack surface of that workstation is then greatly increased. If proper security mitigations are not followed, the chance of successful attack increases significantly.

Note: This security concern applies to

any

web server application installed on a workstation, not just IIS.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to: Disabled or ensure the service is not installed.

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\World Wide Web Publishing Service

Impact:

IIS Web Services will not function.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 1A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
4
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
17.2.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Security Group Management' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports each event of security group management, such as when a security group is created, changed, or deleted or when a member is added to or removed from a security group. If you enable this Audit policy setting, administrators can track events to detect malicious, accidental, and authorized creation of security group accounts. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4727: A security-enabled global group was created.
- 4728: A member was added to a security-enabled global group.
- 4729: A member was removed from a security-enabled global group.
- 4730: A security-enabled global group was deleted.
- 4731: A security-enabled local group was created.
- 4732: A member was added to a security-enabled local group.
- 4733: A member was removed from a security-enabled local group.
- 4734: A security-enabled local group was deleted.
- 4735: A security-enabled local group was changed.
- 4737: A security-enabled global group was changed.
- 4754: A security-enabled universal group was created.
- 4755: A security-enabled universal group was changed.
- 4756: A member was added to a security-enabled universal group.
- 4757: A member was removed from a security-enabled universal group.
- 4758: A security-enabled universal group was deleted.
- 4764: A group's type was changed.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Account Management\Audit Security Group Management

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 16.6
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.5.3 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Logoff' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports when a user logs off from the system. These events occur on the accessed computer. For interactive logons, the generation of these events occurs on the computer that is logged on to. If a network logon takes place to access a share, these events generate on the computer that hosts the accessed resource. If you configure this setting to No auditing, it is difficult or impossible to determine which user has accessed or attempted to access organization computers. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4634: An account was logged off.
- 4647: User initiated logoff.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Logon/Logoff\Audit Logoff

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 16.13
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.5.4 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Logon' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports when a user attempts to log on to the system. These events occur on the accessed computer. For interactive logons, the generation of these events occurs on the computer that is logged on to. If a network logon takes place to access a share, these events generate on the computer that hosts the accessed resource. If you configure this setting to No auditing, it is difficult or impossible to determine which user has accessed or attempted to access organization computers. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4624: An account was successfully logged on.
- 4625: An account failed to log on.
- 4648: A logon was attempted using explicit credentials.
- 4675: SIDs were filtered.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Logon/Logoff\Audit Logon

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 16.13
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success, failure'
17.5.6 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Special Logon' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports when a special logon is used. A special logon is a logon that has administrator-equivalent privileges and can be used to elevate a process to a higher level. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4964 : Special groups have been assigned to a new logon.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Logon/Logoff\Audit Special Logon

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV7 16.13
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.7.1 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Audit Policy Change' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports changes in audit policy including SACL changes. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4715: The audit policy (SACL) on an object was changed.
- 4719: System audit policy was changed.
- 4902: The Per-user audit policy table was created.
- 4904: An attempt was made to register a security event source.
- 4905: An attempt was made to unregister a security event source.
- 4906: The CrashOnAuditFail value has changed.
- 4907: Auditing settings on object were changed.
- 4908: Special Groups Logon table modified.
- 4912: Per User Audit Policy was changed.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Policy Change\Audit Audit Policy Change

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 5.5
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.7.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Authentication Policy Change' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports changes in authentication policy. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4706: A new trust was created to a domain.
- 4707: A trust to a domain was removed.
- 4713: Kerberos policy was changed.
- 4716: Trusted domain information was modified.
- 4717: System security access was granted to an account.
- 4718: System security access was removed from an account.
- 4739: Domain Policy was changed.
- 4864: A namespace collision was detected.
- 4865: A trusted forest information entry was added.
- 4866: A trusted forest information entry was removed.
- 4867: A trusted forest information entry was modified.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Policy Change\Audit Authentication Policy Change

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 5.5
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.9.2 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Other System Events' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports on other system events. Events for this subcategory include:

- 5024: The Windows Firewall Service has started successfully.
- 5025: The Windows Firewall Service has been stopped.
- 5027: The Windows Firewall Service was unable to retrieve the security policy from the local storage. The service will continue enforcing the current policy.
- 5028: The Windows Firewall Service was unable to parse the new security policy. The service will continue with currently enforced policy.
- 5029: The Windows Firewall Service failed to initialize the driver. The service will continue to enforce the current policy.
- 5030: The Windows Firewall Service failed to start.
- 5032: Windows Firewall was unable to notify the user that it blocked an application from accepting incoming connections on the network.
- 5033: The Windows Firewall Driver has started successfully.
- 5034: The Windows Firewall Driver has been stopped.
- 5035: The Windows Firewall Driver failed to start.
- 5037: The Windows Firewall Driver detected critical runtime error. Terminating.
- 5058: Key file operation.
- 5059: Key migration operation.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Capturing these audit events may be useful for identifying when the Windows Firewall is not performing as expected.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\System\Audit Other System Events

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success, failure'
17.9.3 (L1) Ensure 'Audit Security State Change' is set to include 'Success'
-
Info
This subcategory reports changes in security state of the system, such as when the security subsystem starts and stops. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4608: Windows is starting up.
- 4609: Windows is shutting down.
- 4616: The system time was changed.
- 4621: Administrator recovered system from CrashOnAuditFail. Users who are not administrators will now be allowed to log on. Some audit-able activity might not have been recorded.

The recommended state for this setting is to include: Success

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to include Success :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\System\Audit Security State Change

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success' || 'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success'
17.9.5 (L1) Ensure 'Audit System Integrity' is set to 'Success and Failure'
-
Info
This subcategory reports on violations of integrity of the security subsystem. Events for this subcategory include:

- 4612: Internal resources allocated for the queuing of audit messages have been exhausted, leading to the loss of some audits.
- 4615: Invalid use of LPC port.
- 4618: A monitored security event pattern has occurred.
- 4816: RPC detected an integrity violation while decrypting an incoming message.
- 5038: Code integrity determined that the image hash of a file is not valid. The file could be corrupt due to unauthorized modification or the invalid hash could indicate a potential disk device error.
- 5056: A cryptographic self test was performed.
- 5057: A cryptographic primitive operation failed.
- 5060: Verification operation failed.
- 5061: Cryptographic operation.
- 5062: A kernel-mode cryptographic self test was performed.

The recommended state for this setting is: Success and Failure

Auditing these events may be useful when investigating a security incident.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Success and Failure:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\System\Audit System Integrity

Impact:

If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected, or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.3.1
800-171 3.3.2
800-171 3.3.6
800-171R3 03.03.02a.
800-171R3 03.03.02b.
800-171R3 03.03.03
800-171R3 03.03.06a.
800-53 AU-3
800-53 AU-3(1)
800-53 AU-7
800-53 AU-12
800-53R5 AU-3
800-53R5 AU-3(1)
800-53R5 AU-7
800-53R5 AU-12
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(b)
CN-L3 7.1.2.3(c)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(a)
CN-L3 7.1.3.3(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.3(b)
CSCV7 6.3
CSCV8 8.5
CSF DE.CM-1
CSF DE.CM-3
CSF DE.CM-7
CSF PR.PT-1
CSF RS.AN-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-01
CSF2.0 DE.CM-03
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-04
CSF2.0 RS.AN-03
CSF2.0 RS.AN-06
CSF2.0 RS.AN-07
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(b)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.15
ITSG-33 AU-3
ITSG-33 AU-3(1)
ITSG-33 AU-7
ITSG-33 AU-12
LEVEL 1A
NESA T3.6.2
NIAV2 AM34a
NIAV2 AM34b
NIAV2 AM34c
NIAV2 AM34d
NIAV2 AM34e
NIAV2 AM34f
NIAV2 AM34g
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.1
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.4
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.5
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 10.3.6
PCI-DSSV4.0 10.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 8.2.1
QCSC-V1 10.2.1
QCSC-V1 11.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 6.4
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'success, failure'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'success, failure'
18.5.1 (L1) Ensure 'MSS: (AutoAdminLogon) Enable Automatic Logon' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This setting is separate from the Welcome screen feature in Windows XP and Windows Vista; if that feature is disabled, this setting is not disabled. If you configure a computer for automatic logon, anyone who can physically gain access to the computer can also gain access to everything that is on the computer, including any network or networks to which the computer is connected. Also, if you enable automatic logon, the password is stored in the registry in plaintext, and the specific registry key that stores this value is remotely readable by the Authenticated Users group.

For additional information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 324737:

How to turn on automatic logon in Windows

.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

If you configure a computer for automatic logon, anyone who can physically gain access to the computer can also gain access to everything that is on the computer, including any network or networks that the computer is connected to. Also, if you enable automatic logon, the password is stored in the registry in plaintext. The specific registry key that stores this setting is remotely readable by the Authenticated Users group. As a result, this entry is appropriate only if the computer is physically secured and if you ensure that untrusted users cannot remotely see the registry.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\MSS (Legacy)\MSS: (AutoAdminLogon) Enable Automatic Logon

Note: This Group Policy path does not exist by default. An additional Group Policy template ( MSS-legacy.admx/adml ) is required - it is available from this TechNet blog post:

The MSS settings - Microsoft Security Guidance blog

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.16
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-28
800-53 SC-28(1)
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-28
800-53R5 SC-28(1)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(b)
CSCV7 16.4
CSCV8 3.11
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.DS-1
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.DS-01
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(iv)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(ii)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-28
ITSG-33 SC-28a.
ITSG-33 SC-28(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T5.2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 3.4
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.3.2
PCI-DSSV4.0 3.5.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 28.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
PASSED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
PASSED - Ensure 'AutoAdminLogon' is 'Windows: Registry Value' to '0':
Remote value: '0'
Policy value: '0'


-------------------------
PASSED - Ensure 'DefaultPassword' does not exist:
Remote value: 'HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon_registry_does_not_exist'
Policy value: 'HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon'
18.9.19.7 (L1) Ensure 'Turn off background refresh of Group Policy' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting prevents Group Policy from being updated while the computer is in use. This policy setting applies to Group Policy for computers, users and Domain Controllers.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

This setting ensures that group policy changes take effect more quickly, as compared to waiting until the next user logon or system restart.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy\Turn off background refresh of Group Policy

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template GroupPolicy.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.1
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171 3.13.1
800-171 3.13.2
800-171R3 03.04.01
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-171R3 03.16.01
800-53 CM-2
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53 CM-7(1)
800-53 CM-9
800-53 SA-3
800-53 SA-8
800-53 SA-10
800-53R5 CM-1
800-53R5 CM-2
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-7(1)
800-53R5 CM-9
800-53R5 SA-3
800-53R5 SA-8
800-53R5 SA-10
CSCV7 5.4
CSCV8 4.1
CSF DE.AE-1
CSF PR.DS-7
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.IP-2
CSF PR.IP-3
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 ID.AM-08
CSF2.0 ID.IM-01
CSF2.0 ID.IM-02
CSF2.0 ID.IM-03
CSF2.0 ID.RA-09
CSF2.0 PR.DS-10
CSF2.0 PR.IR-03
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
CSF2.0 PR.PS-06
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.2
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.8
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.25
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.26
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.27
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.28
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.30
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.31
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.32
ITSG-33 CM-2
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
ITSG-33 CM-7(1)
ITSG-33 CM-9
ITSG-33 SA-3
ITSG-33 SA-8
ITSG-33 SA-8a.
ITSG-33 SA-10
LEVEL 1A
NESA T1.2.1
NESA T1.2.2
NESA T3.2.5
NESA T3.4.1
NESA T4.5.3
NESA T4.5.4
NESA T7.2.1
NESA T7.5.1
NESA T7.5.3
NESA T7.6.1
NESA T7.6.2
NESA T7.6.3
NESA T7.6.5
NIAV2 SS3
NIAV2 SS15a
NIAV2 SS16
NIAV2 VL2
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 4.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
'HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'
Hosts

192.168.0.185

'HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System_registry_does_not_exist'
18.10.43.5.2 (L2) Ensure 'Join Microsoft MAPS' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to join Microsoft Active Protection Service (MAPS), which Microsoft renamed to

Windows Defender Antivirus Cloud Protection Service

and then

Microsoft Defender Antivirus Cloud Protection Service

. Microsoft MAPS / Microsoft Defender Antivirus Cloud Protection Service is the online community that helps you choose how to respond to potential threats. The community also helps stop the spread of new malicious software infections. You can choose to send basic or additional information about detected software. Additional information helps Microsoft create new definitions and help it to protect your computer.

Possible options are:

- (0x0) Disabled (default)
- (0x1) Basic membership
- (0x2) Advanced membership

Basic membership will send basic information to Microsoft about software that has been detected including where the software came from the actions that you apply or that are applied automatically and whether the actions were successful.

Advanced membership in addition to basic information will send more information to Microsoft about malicious software spyware and potentially unwanted software including the location of the software file names how the software operates and how it has impacted your computer.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Note: In Windows 10 and above, Basic membership is no longer available, so setting the value to 1 Basic, or 2 Advanced, enrolls the device into Advanced membership. For more information, please visit:

Turn on cloud protection in Microsoft Defender Antivirus - Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Microsoft Learn

.

The information that would be sent can include things like location of detected items on your computer if harmful software was removed. The information would be automatically collected and sent. In some instances personal information might unintentionally be sent to Microsoft. However, Microsoft states that it will not use this information to identify you or contact you.

For privacy reasons in high security environments, it is best to prevent these data submissions altogether.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\MAPS\Join Microsoft MAPS

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.59.2 (L2) Ensure 'Allow Cloud Search' is set to 'Enabled: Disable Cloud Search'
-
Info
This policy setting allows search and Cortana to search cloud sources like OneDrive and SharePoint.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Disable Cloud Search

Due to privacy concerns, data should never be sent to any third-party since this data could contain sensitive information.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled: Disable Cloud Search :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search\Allow Cloud Search

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template Search.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Search and Cortana will not be permitted to search cloud sources like OneDrive and SharePoint.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.4.2
800-171 3.4.6
800-171 3.4.7
800-171R3 03.04.02
800-171R3 03.04.06
800-53 CM-6
800-53 CM-7
800-53R5 CM-6
800-53R5 CM-7
CSCV7 9.2
CSCV8 4.8
CSF PR.IP-1
CSF PR.PT-3
CSF2.0 DE.CM-09
CSF2.0 PR.PS-01
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.9
ITSG-33 CM-6
ITSG-33 CM-7
LEVEL 2A
NIAV2 SS15a
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.2.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.3
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
18.10.89.2.3 (L1) Ensure 'Allow unencrypted traffic' is set to 'Disabled'
-
Info
This policy setting allows you to manage whether the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service sends and receives unencrypted messages over the network.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled

Encrypting WinRM network traffic reduces the risk of an attacker viewing or modifying WinRM messages as they transit the network.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled :

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Remote Management (WinRM)\WinRM Service\Allow unencrypted traffic

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsRemoteManagement.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
References
800-171 3.1.13
800-171 3.5.2
800-171 3.13.8
800-171R3 03.05.07
800-171R3 03.05.12
800-171R3 03.13.08
800-53 AC-17(2)
800-53 IA-5
800-53 IA-5(1)
800-53 SC-8
800-53 SC-8(1)
800-53R5 AC-17(2)
800-53R5 IA-5
800-53R5 IA-5(1)
800-53R5 SC-8
800-53R5 SC-8(1)
CN-L3 7.1.2.7(g)
CN-L3 7.1.3.1(d)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(a)
CN-L3 8.1.2.2(b)
CN-L3 8.1.4.1(c)
CN-L3 8.1.4.7(a)
CN-L3 8.1.4.8(a)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(c)
CN-L3 8.2.4.5(d)
CN-L3 8.5.2.2
CSCV7 14.4
CSCV8 3.10
CSF PR.AC-1
CSF PR.AC-3
CSF PR.DS-2
CSF PR.DS-5
CSF PR.PT-4
CSF2.0 PR.AA-01
CSF2.0 PR.AA-03
CSF2.0 PR.AA-05
CSF2.0 PR.DS-02
GDPR 32.1.a
GDPR 32.1.b
HIPAA 164.306(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(a)(2)(i)
HIPAA 164.312(d)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(1)
HIPAA 164.312(e)(2)(i)
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.10
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.14
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.16
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.17
ISO-27001-2022 A.5.33
ISO-27001-2022 A.6.7
ISO-27001-2022 A.8.20
ISO/IEC-27001 A.6.2.2
ISO/IEC-27001 A.10.1.1
ISO/IEC-27001 A.13.2.3
ITSG-33 AC-17(2)
ITSG-33 IA-5
ITSG-33 IA-5(1)
ITSG-33 SC-8
ITSG-33 SC-8a.
ITSG-33 SC-8(1)
LEVEL 1A
NESA T4.3.1
NESA T4.3.2
NESA T4.5.1
NESA T4.5.2
NESA T5.2.3
NESA T5.4.2
NESA T7.3.3
NESA T7.4.1
NIAV2 AM37
NIAV2 IE8
NIAV2 IE9
NIAV2 IE12
NIAV2 NS5d
NIAV2 NS6b
NIAV2 NS29
NIAV2 SS24
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 2.3
PCI-DSSV3.2.1 4.1
PCI-DSSV4.0 2.2.7
PCI-DSSV4.0 4.2.1
QCSC-V1 3.2
QCSC-V1 5.2.1
QCSC-V1 5.2.2
QCSC-V1 6.2
QCSC-V1 13.2
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.1
SWIFT-CSCV1 2.6
SWIFT-CSCV1 4.1
TBA-FIISB 29.1
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
0
Hosts

192.168.0.185

NULL
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit from CIS Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise Benchmark v4.0.0
-
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L1.audit
Policy Value
PASSED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
PASSED - Windows 11 is installed:
Remote value: '26200'
Policy value: '2[26][0-9]{3}'


-------------------------
PASSED - Windows 11 installation type:
Remote value: 'Client'
Policy value: 'Client'
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit from CIS Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise Benchmark v4.0.0
-
See Also
https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/21318
Audit File
CIS_Microsoft_Windows_11_Enterprise_v4.0.0_L2.audit
Policy Value
PASSED
Hosts

192.168.0.185

All of the following must pass to satisfy this requirement:

-------------------------
PASSED - Windows 11 is installed:
Remote value: '26200'
Policy value: '2[26][0-9]{3}'


-------------------------
PASSED - Windows 11 installation type:
Remote value: 'Client'
Policy value: 'Client'
Compliance 'INFO', 'WARNING', 'ERROR'
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